Analysis of Student Preconceptions Related to Telecommunications and Quality of Service

This study evaluates STEM students’ preconceptions regarding Quality of Service (QoS) in telecommunications and networking with the goal of understanding the nature of these preconceptions to improve student learning in this discipline. In this study we explain the importance of identifying preconceptions with which students enter our classrooms and illustrate a mechanism successfully used in this identification process. Researchers have explained it incumbent on educators to address preconceptions in order to effectively change student beliefs. Analyzing the causes of these will allow teachers to instruct effectively from the start of the topic rather that lose time by re-teaching the material. As networks grow to handle increasing demands for capacity and QoS, telecommunications professionals are responsible for engineering and managing these networks. A solid understanding of factors that affect QoS is imperative and, as such, telecommunications networking instruction must be properly informed.