Linking Interest and Conceptual Knowledge in Electrical Engineering

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The goal of this engineering educations research project is to investigate the link between students? conceptual knowledge of engineering and their interest in the field. The study is conducted within the context of two junior-year electrical engineering courses. The project combines qualitative and quantitative measures, including a proven assessment of student knowledge (the Signals and Systems Concept Inventory), to broaden the examination of the nature of student understanding and to investigate the impact of inclass problem solving on students? learning and interest in upper-level engineering courses with significant mathematics components. The Engineer of 2020 and other reports have identified mathematics as significant to engineering learning. The proposed study will integrate multiple quantitative and qualitative data sources in a case study about students? mathematics knowledge for engineering in signals and systems. We will utilize the Signals and Systems Concept Inventory as a pre- and post-test measure of student understanding. For more in-depth analysis, we will collect student responses to in-class tasks throughout the semester, conduct clinical interviews, collect student transcript data, and use student performance on course exams. This combines multiple types of assessment to provide a comprehensive picture of students? knowledge and interest in engineering with a focus on the area of signals and systems.