What do they know? An entry-level test for electricity
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What do they know? An entry-level test for electricity
Gerard Rowe
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Context
• Mismatch Industry demand for more engineering
graduates vs. lack of growth in high-school pool• Growth likely from under-represented groups
and students with lower achievement levels• Academic preparedness needs to be assessed
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Background
• The compulsory electrical engineering course ELECTENG 101 is perceived as “difficult”
• Pass rates have not been as high as in other year-one courses, particularly for under-represented groups such as Maori and Pacifika
• There is a perception that the modular teaching and assessment of the national high-school qualification has not prepared students well for study in this course
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Diagnostic Tests
• Part 1 Electrical Engineering• Part 2 Circuit Theory, Electronics,
Electromagnetics• Ready for First Year Quiz
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Diagnostic test
• Diagnostic assessment administered on day 2
• 30 minutes, 22 questions
• 20 MC & 2 free-response questions covering:– simple circuit theory– forces on charges & currents in magnetic fields– electromagnetic induction
• Questions based on high-school physics & maths
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Diagnostic Test results 2007
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Mark
Frequency
Mean = 10.4
Pass rate 30%
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The Diagnostic Test, a closer lookKnown conceptual misunderstandings from PER:- Sequential thinking- Misapplication of Ohm’s law- Current is “used up”
2007 Correct (D) 52%, (A) 37%
2008 Correct (D) 61%, (A) 29%
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Tests for sequential thinking.2007 23% correct (B)
39% (A), 15% (E)2008 27% correct (B)
38% (A), 20% (E)
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Diagnostic Tests
• Part 1 Electrical Engineering• Part 2 Circuit Theory, Electronics,
Electromagnetics• Ready for First Year Quiz
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Interventions
• Minor changes to lecture delivery and content of tutorials
• Active learning in class• OASIS practice problems• Peer marking • Part 1 Assistance Centre• Part 1 Lecturers’ Network• Foundation Tutorials for at-risk (Part 2)
students
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Conclusions
• The diagnostic test was valuable as a “wake-up call” and led to behavioural changes on behalf of students and some modification to course content.
• Significant (pre-tertiary) conceptual errors were identified.
• Many students appear to follow a “sequential thinking” model.
• Many students inappropriately apply Ohm’s law.• Misunderstandings can be corrected by
appropriate course interventions.
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Where to from here?
• Shared NZEEL identification of learning obstacles / threshold concepts (TC)
• Shared resources for overcoming TC• Use of NZEEL wiki for dissemination• NZEEL coordination of input to NCEA/CIE/IB curricula• Design of resources for high schools• Concept inventory dissemination, evaluation,
development, refinement• Establish smalls groups to work on key areas of
curricula• Curriculum design (research vs practice) – the role of
CDIO?• Learning styles – development of variety of resources