The Efficacy of Student-Revised Homework Assignments in an Introductory Engineering Course

Robert A. Hume,; Adrian Biggerstaff; Eric B. Williamson

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Conference: 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Baltimore , Maryland
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
Start Date: June 25, 2023
End Date: June 28, 2023
Conference Session: Teaching Mechanics: Modes and Methods
Tagged Division: Mechanics Division (MECHS)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Page Count: 17
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--44449
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/44449
Download Count: 209

Paper Authors

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Robert A. Hume, P.E. United States Military Academy orcid.org/0000-0002-2097-4297

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Robert A. Hume is an Instructor of Civil Engineering at the United States Military Academy at West Point and an active duty Army Engineer Officer. He is a graduate of West Point (B.S. in Civil Engineering) and the University of Cambridge (MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development). His research interests include sustainable infrastructure design, energy efficiency, and engineering education. He is a licensed professional engineer in Missouri.

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Adrian Biggerstaff United States Military Academy orcid.org/0000-0003-0717-9368

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Lieutenant Colonel Adrian Biggerstaff is an Assistant Professor at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, NY. He received his B.S. from the United States Military Academy, M.S. degrees from Stanford University and Missouri University of Science and Technology, and Ph.D. from Stanford University.

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Eric B. Williamson U.S. Military Academy

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Eric Williamson, Ph.D., P.E., F.SEI -- Dr. Williamson currently serves as the Class of '53 Distinguished Chair in Civil Engineering at the U.S. Military Academy (USMA) in West Point, NY. He has 25 years of teaching experience at the University of Texas at Austin prior to joining USMA.

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Abstract

Traditional homework in engineering courses often involves “problem sets” – lengthy collections of problems students solve over a period of days or weeks. Time expenditure on these assignments is high, often numbering dozens of hours for each student over a semester-long course with a similar time spent by instructors to grade them and provide feedback. Instructors must therefore choose the most worthwhile assignments based on time available and impact on student learning and competence.

The purpose of this study is to build on previous research reported in the literature by examining the efficacy of self-revised problem sets in an introductory-level engineering course. Self-revised assignments are defined as those requiring an initial submission, the publication of a complete solution, and a subsequent student requirement to revise the initial submission by correcting any errors. Instructors grade the assignments by assessing most points to the initial work and a lower percentage to the revisions.

Two semesters of students enrolled in an introductory statics and mechanics of materials course (n=219 and 128 students, respectively) and 11 instructors are included in the study. We compare student achievement on select graded events to similar cohorts in past semesters that did not experience self-revised assignments. We also survey students and instructors on their impression of the self-revised assignments to evaluate the efficacy of these assignments in three areas:

1. Student academic performance on exams compared to previous cohorts 2. Student perception of the homework and learning experience 3. Instructor perception of the assignment style’s benefits to students and ease of grading

Outcomes proved neutral to slightly positive in each area. Student grades remained similar to previous cohorts, but struggling students demonstrated increased time spent engaging with the material during the revision process. Students reported neutral to positive perceptions of the method, and instructors generally favored the approach for its reduction in time spent grading. Overall, we recommend other engineering courses consider implementation of a similar dual-submission homework method, and we will continue to implement it in this course.

Citation
Format

Hume,, R. A., & Biggerstaff, A., & Williamson, E. B. (2023, June), The Efficacy of Student-Revised Homework Assignments in an Introductory Engineering Course Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--44449

TY - CPAPER
AB - Traditional homework in engineering courses often involves “problem sets” – lengthy collections of problems students solve over a period of days or weeks. Time expenditure on these assignments is high, often numbering dozens of hours for each student over a semester-long course with a similar time spent by instructors to grade them and provide feedback. Instructors must therefore choose the most worthwhile assignments based on time available and impact on student learning and competence.

The purpose of this study is to build on previous research reported in the literature by examining the efficacy of self-revised problem sets in an introductory-level engineering course. Self-revised assignments are defined as those requiring an initial submission, the publication of a complete solution, and a subsequent student requirement to revise the initial submission by correcting any errors. Instructors grade the assignments by assessing most points to the initial work and a lower percentage to the revisions.

Two semesters of students enrolled in an introductory statics and mechanics of materials course (n=219 and 128 students, respectively) and 11 instructors are included in the study. We compare student achievement on select graded events to similar cohorts in past semesters that did not experience self-revised assignments. We also survey students and instructors on their impression of the self-revised assignments to evaluate the efficacy of these assignments in three areas:

1. Student academic performance on exams compared to previous cohorts
2. Student perception of the homework and learning experience
3. Instructor perception of the assignment style’s benefits to students and ease of grading

Outcomes proved neutral to slightly positive in each area. Student grades remained similar to previous cohorts, but struggling students demonstrated increased time spent engaging with the material during the revision process. Students reported neutral to positive perceptions of the method, and instructors generally favored the approach for its reduction in time spent grading. Overall, we recommend other engineering courses consider implementation of a similar dual-submission homework method, and we will continue to implement it in this course.

AU - Robert A. Hume, P.E.
AU - Adrian Biggerstaff
AU - Eric B. Williamson
CY - Baltimore , Maryland
DA - 2023/06/25
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - The Efficacy of Student-Revised Homework Assignments in an Introductory Engineering Course
UR - https://peer.asee.org/44449
DO - 10.18260/1-2--44449
ER -