Using Interactive and Online Tools in a Freshman-Level Engineering Course

1. Using Interactive and Online Tools in a Freshman-Level Engineering Course Amy de Jongh Curry Technology Fellowship Program Project umdrive.memphis.edu/g-tfp/www

2. Goal Statement • Incorporate technology into a freshman-level introductory course in engineering to… • engage and enable our students with different types of learning backgrounds • provide online resources for students that need further instruction

3. Project Context and Rationale • The course… • freshman-level, introductory course for electrical and computer engineering (EECE) • required for all EECE majors • The students… • variety of educational backgrounds • College Algebra to Calculus III • various levels of experience in using spreadsheet and graphing tools, such as Excel • How can I engage and enable the students? • Use interactive tools during classroom lectures • Use web resources for learning outside the classroom

4. Action Plan • Personal Response System (PRS) • Uses infrared wireless transmitters assigned to each student • Records answers of each student to questions posed during class • Encourages active learning during classroom lectures • WebCT • Post practice problems, PowerPoint lectures, assignments • Generate message board discussions for student-initiated solutions • Voluntary exercise • Element K • Online tutorials for Excel • Voluntary exercise • cbt.memphis.edu • Assessment • Administered online survey through WebCT • Tracked usage of WebCT message board

5. ~M1 ~M2 ~M3 ~M4 ~M5 ~M6 ~M7 ~M8 ~M10 ~M9 ~M11 ~M12 ~M13 ~M14 ~M15 ~M16 ~M17 ~M18 ~M20 ~M19 ~M21 ~M22 PRS Example Calculate the resistance of a light bulb rated at 100 W when connected to a 110 V source. 1 = 1.21 W 2 = 121 W 3 = 11 W 4 = 1.1 W

6. Course SurveyPRS & WebCT Strongly Agree---------------------------Strongly Disagree

7. Course SurveyWebCT & ElementK

8. Assessment Summary • PRS system • good use of class time (81%) • students pay closer attention in class (85%) • WebCT • not a substitute for attending class (85%) • practice problems used occasionally (44%) or always (22%) • power point lectures used occasionally (41%) or often (30%) • few students used the message board (4 out of 41) • ElementK • 63% never logged on • 22% used it once or twice

9. Discussion • PRS is effective tool to stimulate active learning • WebCT practice problems useful • WebCT message boards rarely used • ElementK rarely used to learn Excel • not required exercises, so students may not have perceived them to be useful

10. Next Steps • Continue with PRS • WebCT • Use/develop interactive online tools to provide immediate feedback during problem solving • WebCT quizz tool • ElementK • Require tutorial usage • Use Excel tutorial as assessment of student skills

11. Benefits of the TFP Program • Networking resource • Learned about experiences of other TFP faculty using technology in the classroom • Training resources and structured program • Accelerated my use of instructional technologies

12. Thanks • Janna Robertson • Joanne Gikas • Sandy Schaeffer • ALC staff • TFP faculty