Abstract:
In foundational knowledge engineering courses, students engage in problem solving in order to learn important course concepts. To help in this process, students receive f...Show MoreMetadata
Abstract:
In foundational knowledge engineering courses, students engage in problem solving in order to learn important course concepts. To help in this process, students receive feedback on their performance from the instructor. This paper explores an alternative to instructor-provided feedback: a semi-structured assignment in which students reworked problems they failed to solve correctly on a midterm exam for credit. The assignment required students to provide a correct solution to the problem and identify both mathematical and conceptual errors made in the initial solution. The initial results show that students who completed this assignment were able to apply course concepts in analysis and reasoning questions more accurately than students who received exam feedback from the instructor. In addition, these students showed a marked improvement in their ability to solve problems common in a Circuit Analysis course. These results show that such semi-structured assignments can replace instructor-provided feedback in large-enrollment classes and lead to improved problem solving.
Published in: IEEE Transactions on Education ( Volume: 57, Issue: 2, May 2014)
Funding Agency:
Charles L. Brown Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
Archie L. Holmes, Jr. (M'92–SM'05) received the B.S.E.E. degree from the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA, in 1991, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA, in 1992 and 1997, respectively.
He joined the Charles L. Brown Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA, in 2007. Prior t...Show More
Archie L. Holmes, Jr. (M'92–SM'05) received the B.S.E.E. degree from the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA, in 1991, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA, in 1992 and 1997, respectively.
He joined the Charles L. Brown Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA, in 2007. Prior t...View more
Contents Charles L. Brown Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
Archie L. Holmes, Jr. (M'92–SM'05) received the B.S.E.E. degree from the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA, in 1991, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA, in 1992 and 1997, respectively.
He joined the Charles L. Brown Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA, in 2007. Prior to this position, he was on the faculty with the University of Texas at Austin, where he held the Lybarger Endowed Faculty Fellowship. He has coauthored over 100 refereed technical articles. His current research interests include design and fabrication of III-V optoelectronic devices and the ways in which instructional changes can help students more quickly advance from novice to expert problem solvers.
Archie L. Holmes, Jr. (M'92–SM'05) received the B.S.E.E. degree from the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA, in 1991, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA, in 1992 and 1997, respectively.
He joined the Charles L. Brown Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA, in 2007. Prior to this position, he was on the faculty with the University of Texas at Austin, where he held the Lybarger Endowed Faculty Fellowship. He has coauthored over 100 refereed technical articles. His current research interests include design and fabrication of III-V optoelectronic devices and the ways in which instructional changes can help students more quickly advance from novice to expert problem solvers.View more
