A. Varun
1*,
Sivakumar Krishnan
2
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, B V Raju Institute of Technology, Narsapur, Telangana, 502313, India
- Director (Learning and Innovation), Vishnu Educational Development and Innovation Centre (VEDIC), Hyderabad, India
Abstract
Engineering students have misconceptions that need to be addressed to improve their understanding of the subject especially in courses that involve several interlinked concepts. While approaches such as concept inventories and concept maps have been used in the past, the present study addresses the importance of learning assessment design with a clear understanding of the conceptual difficulties faced by students. This paper describes a series of diagnostic assessments conducted to understand the most common misconceptions encountered by the Engineering Metallurgy subject students in the 3rd semester of a B.Tech. program in Mechanical Engineering. The goal of this exploratory study was to ascertain whether this diagnostic approach could help the instructor guide the students towards correct responses through multiple interventions. The primary learning interventions included live classroom lectures, asynchronous assignments, blended mode group discussion and supplementary video lectures while secondary learning interventions included periodic postassessment reviews used for some topics. Multiplechoice questions were used for assessment and student responses were classified as correct, misconceptions or 'no basis' responses. The proposed diagnostic approach provides a framework for educators to identify best interventions suitable for specific topics and forms the basis for Outcome- Based Education. The study revealed that for 12 of the 14 topics considered in this tracking approach, a target percentage of correct responses was reached by the students while the number of 'no basis' responses were reduced significantly. The results from this study provide a basis for choosing topics where alternate learning designs could be implemented in the future.
References
- Adadan, E., & Savasci, F. (2012) An Analysis of 16�17-Year-Old Students' Understanding of Solution Chemistry Concepts Using a Two-Tier Diagnostic Instrument, International Journal of Science Education, 34(4), 513-544.
- Adodo, S. O. (2013) Effects of Two-Tier Multiple-Choice Diagnostic Assessment Items on Students' Learning Outcome in Basic Science Technology (BST), Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 2(2), 201.
- Cengiz, T. Y. Z. (2009) Development of Two Tier Diagnostic Instrument and Assess Students' Understanding in Chemistry, Scientific Research and Essays, 4(6), 626-631.
- Chen, C. C., Lin, H. S., & Lin, M. L. (2002) Developing a Two-Tier Diagnostic Instrument to Assess High School Students' Understandingthe Formation of Images by a Plane Mirror, Proceedings National Science Council Republic of China Part D Mathematics Science and Technology Education, 12(3), 106-121.
- Lin, S. W. (2004) Development and Application Of A Two-Tier Diagnostic Test for High School Students' Understanding of Flowering Plant Growth and Development, International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 2(2), 175-199.
- Purzer S, Krause S, Kelly J. (2009) What lies beneath the Materials Science and Engineering misconceptions of undergraduate engineering students? ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings.
- Sesli, E., & Kara, Y. (2012) Development and Application of a Two-Tier Multiple-Choice Diagnostic Test for High School Students' Understanding of Cell Division and Reproduction, Journal of Biological Education, 46(4), 214-225.
- S. Krause ; J.C. Decker ; R. Griffin. (2003) Using a materials concept inventory to assess conceptual gain in introductory materials engineering courses, 33rd Annual Frontiers in Education, FIE 2003. Volume 1, pp 7-11.
- Stephen Kruase, J. Chris Decker, Justin Niska, Terry Alford (2003) Identifying Student Misconceptions in Introductory Materials Engineering Classes, Proceedings of the 2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Nashville, TN. https://peer.asee.org/12519.
- Treagust, D. F. (1988) Development and Use of Diagnostic Tests to Evaluate Students' Misconceptions in Science, International Journal of Science Education, 10(2), 159-169.
