WIP: The Impact of Formative Assessment on Students’ Attitude, Anticipated Academic Performance, and Design Skills: Insights from Three Design-Oriented Electrical Engineering Courses

Muhammad S Zilany; Iqra Yakub

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Conference: 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Portland, Oregon
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
Start Date: June 23, 2024
End Date: July 12, 2024
Conference Session: Frameworks and Comparative Analyses in ECE Education
Tagged Division: Electrical and Computer Engineering Division (ECE)
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/48318

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Paper Authors

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Muhammad S Zilany Texas A&M University at Qatar orcid.org/0000-0003-0181-0737

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Dr. Muhammad Zilany earned his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from McMaster University, Ontario, Canada, in 2007. He held academic positions at the University of Malaya and the University of Hail before joining the Electrical and Computer Engineering Program at Texas A&M University at Qatar in 2019. His research focuses on signal processing in the auditory system employing a comprehensive approach that integrates computational modeling, physiological recordings, and psychophysical studies. Dr. Zilany developed a computational model of the responses in the auditory nerve for testing our understanding of the underlying mechanical and physiological processes in the auditory periphery, which has been utilized extensively by the prominent auditory neuroscience labs in the field. Dr. Zilany is currently the chair of the ABET and Curriculum committee in the Electrical & Computer program. His commitment to nurturing the next generation of engineers and researchers underscores his role as a mentor and educator. Dr. Zilany is currently a Chartered Engineer with the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) in the UK, and he is also a member of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology (ARO) and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).

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Iqra Yakub

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Abstract

Background: In teaching and learning, assessment plays a crucial role for both educators and students. It serves as a fundamental tool used to provide learners with essential feedback for adapting and enhancing their ongoing learning processes. Simultaneously, it enables instructors to make necessary adjustments in their teaching methods to align with their predefined educational objectives. Formative assessment is a term that describes the regular assessment of students' progress and comprehension. Its purpose is to identify the specific needs of students and make adjustments in teaching methods accordingly. In essence, formative assessment is designed to offer feedback that enhances the learning experience, while summative assessment is primarily focused on measuring the extent of learning achieved. In this study, we aim to examine the effects of formative assessment practices on students’ attitude toward learning, expected grade achievement and design skills from three design-based courses offered at different levels of the electrical engineering curriculum.

Methodology: The study involved participants who were students enrolled in various levels of Electrical and Computer Engineering courses: junior level (Electronics, and Computer Architecture and Design), and senior level (Medical Instrumentation: Application and Design). Each of these courses spanned a duration of 14 weeks and was divided into four to five distinct modules, with each module taking 2-4 weeks to complete. Notably, nearly half of these modules underwent weekly formative assessment practices. Following the completion of each module, students were requested to complete self-assessed learning skill assessments, some observation forms, and participated in several semi-structured interviews. In the context of this study, the responses obtained from students in modules that did not include formative assessments were used as a point of reference, akin to responses from a control group.

Results and Conclusions: Preliminary analysis of data from modules incorporating formative assessments, as opposed to those without them, reveals favorable outcomes associated with the utilization of formative assessments in terms of students' learning, expected academic performance, and design skills. It's worth noting that students exhibit a preference for specific formative assessment methods in distinct modules. This variation underscores the importance of tailoring the choice of formative assessments to the specific course content. Formative assessments offer educators the valuable ability to deliver continuous feedback to their students. This engagement makes students an integral part of the learning process and enhances their self-assessment skills, ultimately aiding in their comprehension of their own cognitive processes. As a result, we strongly encourage instructors to incorporate formative assessments into their teaching methodologies to assist students in honing their skills in the realm of electrical engineering system design.

Citation
Format

Zilany, M. S., & Yakub, I. (2024, June), WIP: The Impact of Formative Assessment on Students’ Attitude, Anticipated Academic Performance, and Design Skills: Insights from Three Design-Oriented Electrical Engineering Courses Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/48318

TY - CPAPER
AB - Background: In teaching and learning, assessment plays a crucial role for both educators and students. It serves as a fundamental tool used to provide learners with essential feedback for adapting and enhancing their ongoing learning processes. Simultaneously, it enables instructors to make necessary adjustments in their teaching methods to align with their predefined educational objectives. Formative assessment is a term that describes the regular assessment of students&#39; progress and comprehension. Its purpose is to identify the specific needs of students and make adjustments in teaching methods accordingly. In essence, formative assessment is designed to offer feedback that enhances the learning experience, while summative assessment is primarily focused on measuring the extent of learning achieved. In this study, we aim to examine the effects of formative assessment practices on students’ attitude toward learning, expected grade achievement and design skills from three design-based courses offered at different levels of the electrical engineering curriculum.

Methodology: The study involved participants who were students enrolled in various levels of Electrical and Computer Engineering courses: junior level (Electronics, and Computer Architecture and Design), and senior level (Medical Instrumentation: Application and Design). Each of these courses spanned a duration of 14 weeks and was divided into four to five distinct modules, with each module taking 2-4 weeks to complete. Notably, nearly half of these modules underwent weekly formative assessment practices. Following the completion of each module, students were requested to complete self-assessed learning skill assessments, some observation forms, and participated in several semi-structured interviews. In the context of this study, the responses obtained from students in modules that did not include formative assessments were used as a point of reference, akin to responses from a control group.

Results and Conclusions: Preliminary analysis of data from modules incorporating formative assessments, as opposed to those without them, reveals favorable outcomes associated with the utilization of formative assessments in terms of students&#39; learning, expected academic performance, and design skills. It&#39;s worth noting that students exhibit a preference for specific formative assessment methods in distinct modules. This variation underscores the importance of tailoring the choice of formative assessments to the specific course content. Formative assessments offer educators the valuable ability to deliver continuous feedback to their students. This engagement makes students an integral part of the learning process and enhances their self-assessment skills, ultimately aiding in their comprehension of their own cognitive processes. As a result, we strongly encourage instructors to incorporate formative assessments into their teaching methodologies to assist students in honing their skills in the realm of electrical engineering system design.

AU - Muhammad S Zilany
AU - Iqra Yakub
CY - Portland, Oregon
DA - 2024/06/23
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - WIP: The Impact of Formative Assessment on Students’ Attitude, Anticipated Academic Performance, and Design Skills: Insights from Three Design-Oriented Electrical Engineering Courses
UR - https://peer.asee.org/48318
ER -