Implementation of a Common Content-Based Assessment for Experiment-Centric Pedagogy in Three HBCU ECE Programs

This paper presents findings from a new phase of a multi-year project that is initiating technology supported experiment centric approaches to learning in electrical and computer engineering courses at 13 Historically Black Colleges and Universities. During this new phase, a series of content surveys were developed and piloted to document immediate student gains in knowledge. Three sites implemented similar modules of instruction and, utilizing variations of experimental studies and similar content quizzes, investigated evidence based student learning of module content. Data were collected over the course of one academic semester (Spring 2016); all instructors were experienced in content, use of the Analog Discovery personal instrumentation, and experiential learning. In this paper, the authors present the validated modules which integrated the Experiment Centric Pedagogy (ECP) into selected experiential teaching and learning settings, their use in the specific site studies, and student outcomes. The first site used a modified (non-random) Solomon Four experimental design with half the students using the ECP approach and half not receiving this support. Within each of these groups half the students participated in a post-test only design while half participated in a pre-post-test design (to rule out impact of pre-test). At the second site, a post-hoc, causal comparative design was implemented; students from two different classes with different instructors taught the content; one class of students utilized ECP, the other class did not. At this site, a second study, pre-post only, was conducted within the experimental class to investigate carryover in learning. At the third site, a pre-test post-test pre-experimental design was used to document standard gains in learning when experimental approaches were implemented. Findings from these studies, as well as others from previous implementation, will be discussed as well as replicability and transferability of these studies to other sites and their implications for future use. The study will conclude with suggestions for refined studies and the need for continued documentations of student and faculty outcomes.