Assessment institute
Department of Engineering Technology
ET 110 – Electric Circuit Analysis
Spring 2016
6/8/16
INTRODUCTION
ET 110 – “Electrical Circuit Analysis” is a circuit and power analysis of direct current
“dc” circuitries for engineering technology students. The course is designed for first year
students in Electrical or Computer Engineering Technology program. It introduces
students to theory and principles of circuit analysis such as series, parallel, and seriesparallel dc circuit; application of network theorems (Thevenin’s theorem, Norton’s
theorem, and maximum power transfer) and circuit methods of analysis (mesh and nodal
analysis, and source transformation) to solve dc circuits; dc power analysis; capacitance
and inductance principles and applications. The course includes three hours of laboratory
work, and in order to pass the course, a passing grade must be obtained in both the lecture
and the laboratory components of the course.
The assessment project
This assessment project focuses on the lecture final exam that students have to take at the end of
the Spring 2016 semester. There are 5 sessions of ET 110 course, and two sessions are
participating on the assessment concluding a total of 56 students being assessed for the semester
of Spring 2016. Both of the participated sessions will have the same amount of questions and
topics, but different problem number. The final exam is graded base on how well students apply
their engineering technology knowledge and problem solving skills to analyze and solve dc
circuits. This grade is based on “Engineering Technology Knowledge and Problem Solving
Skills Scoring Rubric” (see Appendix 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D). Each rubric scores students ability to
analyze and solve a dc circuit as Excellent (4), Good (3), Average (2), and Poor (1).
The final exam has 7 selected problem solving questions (with 22 subquestions) developed
according to Bloom’s Taxonomy Hierarchy Level 1 (Knowledge), Level 2 (Comprehensive), and
Level 4 (Analysis) (See Appendix 3A). Those questions evaluate student’s knowledge on circuit
analysis under dc condition. The final exam is individual, and all 7 questions are used to evaluate
one specific rubric outcome (See Appendix 3A). The main objective of the final exam is to test
on how well students understand the language of circuit analysis and how they apply them to
select the proper and more feasible method of analysis to solve a problem, and how well they use
engineering technology mathematics to formulate and answer dc electrical circuits.
Once the data are collected and evaluated, the results of this assessment project is used to
analyze the reasons why students are not fully achieving their learning goals in their major
courses such as ET 110 – Electric Circuit Analysis. The analysis is going to help instructor to
find a way to improve teaching methodology and out of school supporting materials used to
develop each learning goal. These improvements will apply for the following semester, Fall
2016, and we will expect to have an increment on the percent of students with a passing grade of
Good or Excellent on the final exam.
Student learning outcomes
The learning outcomes for this project are listed on Table 1 - Engineering Technology
Knowledge and Problem Solving Skills Outcomes (see Appendix 1). Each learning outcome
focus on Table 2 - General Education Outcomes (see Appendix 2).
To assess each student learning outcomes, 4 rubrics (1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D) are created based on
the learning outcome from Table 1. Each rubric has a specific performance indicator for each
course outcomes, and a brief description of the activity and scoring used to evaluate student work
on that specific outcome (See Appendix 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D). Each specific outcome is designed
to analyze how well students develop their conceptual theory and critical decision maker
knowledge throughout their academic semester, and how proficient they use and apply them in a
field of engineering technology.
A student who scores an Excellent on a specific indicator implies that he/she has developed a
well understanding on the problem solving and analytical skills that he/she needs to analyze
electric circuits through his/her engineering technology career. On the other hand, a student who
scores a Poor on a specific indicator implies that he/she was not able to achieve the necessary
knowledge to identify, analyze, and evaluate an electric circuit problem.
Results Data Analysis
All students are taking the final exams with their respective lecture instructor. Each lecture
instructor has to grade each student’s exam, fill up the Assessment Excel file (See Appendix 3A)
and each assessment rubrics. All results are organized into one Assessment Analysis Sheet
(Excel file) with the list of all students and the following info: The student’s name, the question
number and brief description, the rubric that the question is being assessed, Bloom’s Taxonomy
Level of Difficulty, the percent of correct answer per question, and the counts of each rubrics’
score (See Appendix 3A)
Once the results are collected, the questions are organized by the increasing percent of correct
answer. From the range, a simple analysis is applied to the question with the lowest percent of
correct answer. Having the question number with the lowest percent, a list is made, List 1, with
the name of students who scored Poor on that particular (See Appendix 4). After it, the final
exam of each student from List 1 is analyzed. The analysis is divided into two categories: general
and specific analysis. The general analysis describes the clearness of the question and the
Bloom’s Taxonomy Level. The specific analysis evaluates the student understanding on the
question: the organization of procedure used to solve the problem, the employment of the most
feasible method of analysis used to solve the problem, the portion of the question that was
answered in a given time, and if the answer is written with the proper engineering notation and
significant digits (See Appendix 5). The last step of data and result analysis is to find if the
department and the course offer the adequate supporting materials for students to achieve their
major academic goals. For this analysis I use the “Squared Matrix of Analysis”. This Squared
matrix has two types of materials for analysis: The result of Specific Analysis and the list of the
Supporting Materials offer by the course and department (See Appendix 6). Having the list of
these two materials, the matrix combines all possible relationship between Specific Analysis and
Supporting Materials. From the combination, a list of all possibilities is obtained, and in
conjunction with the final exam result, we can analyze the reasons why students are having
difficulties to achieve their academic goals. The results of this squared matrix are used to
propose new teaching methodology to improve student performance in circuit analysis. The
suggest materials will be implemented by the following semester, Fall 2016. On Fall 2016, I am
projecting to apply the same or similar assessment hopefully to all ET 110 sessions, and again
data will be collected and analyzed. The goal for Fall 2016 analysis will be:
1. To increment the percent of students scoring Good and Excellent
2. To improve students understanding in the language of circuit analysis and proper
application of engineering technology math to formulate and solve a dc circuit.
3. To improve students critical thinking in selecting the correct and most feasible method of
analysis to solve and/or build electronic circuits.
Assessment timeline
Date
Spring 2016
1st and 2nd
week of
February
1st week of
April
Last week of
May
1st week of
June
Action
Fall 2016
1st and 2nd week
of September
Invite ET 110 lecture instructor to participate in
assessment
1st week of
October
Last week of
December
1st week of
January 2017
February - April
2017
Distribute assessment material to participated ET 110
lecture instructor
Collect assessment material and results of final exam.
Organize and analyze collected data and result.
Present result and report of data.
Propose actions for improvement.
Preparation to publish paper
Assessment results
For the spring 2016 semester, data and result of the final exam of two sessions of ET110 courses
were used for assessment. The total number of assessed students was 56, 38 students from
session C13B and 18 students from session G24. The result reveals that most students have
difficulties in analysis a complex circuit using mesh analysis. The two lowest percent of students
who answered the question correctly were questions about method of circuit analysis using mesh
analysis: 9% and 26% of the students answered question 2C and 2B, respectively, correctly. The
questions were to find the current (2C, Bloom’s taxonomy level of Comprehensive) and voltage
(2B, Bloom’s taxonomy level of Knowledge) through each resistor using the mesh current. On
the other hand, 89% of the students were able to analyze and solve for a series-parallel circuit,
which have a Bloom’s taxonomy level of Comprehensive (See Appendix 3B).
Using the results in Appendix 3B, a detail analysis was made to the question with the lowest
percent of students who answered it correctly, which was question 2C. This result shows that
students who could not answer question 2C have difficulties in applying the respective circuit
analysis theory to solve for the problem. Based on it, I am planning to organize and improve
some supporting materials for the course and apply them for next semester, fall 2016. Some of
the materials include tutoring service offer by the department, homework assignments,
educational videos, and offline learning materials. The main objective of these improvements is
to assist students in their academic learning process on circuit analysis, and so, improve students’
critical thinking in selecting the most feasible method of analysis to solve and/or build electronic
circuits.
Appendix 1 – Table 1 (Engineering Technology Knowledge and Problem Solving Skills Outcomes
Table 1 - Engineering Technology Knowledge and Problem Solving Skills Outcomes
Specific
General
ET 110 – Introduction to Circuit Analysis Course Outcome
Performance
Education
Indicator
Objective
1A
4
Commitment to quality, timeliness, and continuous improvement.
1B
2, 3, 9
Understand the theory and principals of circuit analysis, and be
proficient in the use of engineering technology mathematics to
formulate and solve problems.
1C
2, 5, 6
Have the ability to conduct system analysis and choose the most
feasible solution to solve and/or build an electrical circuit.
1D
2, 5, 6
Be capable to apply standard engineering technology procedure and
protocol to analyze a given system.
Appendix 1A – Specific Performance Indicator Rubric 1A
Appendix 1B – Specific Performance Indicator Rubric 1B
Appendix 1C – Specific Performance Indicator Rubric 1C
Appendix 1D – Specific Performance Indicator 1D
Appendix 2 – Table 2 (General Education Outcomes)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Table 2 – General Education Outcomes
Communicate effectively through reading, writing, listening and speaking
Use analytical reasoning to identify issues or problems and evaluate evidence in order to
informed decisions
Reason quantitatively and mathematically as required in their fields of interest and in
everyday life
Use information management and technology skills effectively for academic research and
lifelong learning
Integrate knowledge and skills in their program of study
Differentiate and make informed decisions about issues based on multiple value systems
Work collaboratively in diverse groups directed at accomplishing learning objectives
Use historical or social sciences perspectives to examine formation of ideas, human
behavior, social institutions, or social processes
Employ concepts and methods of the natural and physical sciences to make informed
judgments
Apply aesthetic and intellectual criteria in the evaluation or creation of works in the
humanities or the arts
Appendix 3A – Assessment Analysis Sheet
Appendix 3B – Assessment Analysis Sheet (with results)
Appendix 4 – List 1 – Students who scored “Poor” for question # 2C
Appendix 5 – Detail Analysis for question with the highest percent of Poor answers
Appendix 6 – Squared Matrix of Data Analysis
Specific
Analysis
1. Organization of
procedure used to solve
the problem:__%
2. Employment of the
most feasible method of
analysis used to solve the
problem:__%
3. Portion of the
question that was
answered in a given
time:__%
4. Answer is written with
the proper engineering
notation and significant
digits: ___%
Supporting
Course Material
A. Tutoring
Service: available
date and quality of
tutors
B. Course materials:
Homework,
textbook reading,
quiz
C. Online learning
services: blackboard,
online videos.
D. Offline learning
materials: Circuit
Challenge
Cross Matrix
Results
1.A. Is there any tutoring services that help studentswith
organization and procedure to solve engineering
technology problems?
1.A
1.B. Is there any course materials that help students with
organization and procedure to solve engineering
technology problems?
1.C. Is there any online learning services that help
students with organization and procedure to solve
engineering technology problems?
1.D. Is there any offline learning services that help
students with organization and procedure to solve
engineering technology problems?
2.A. Is there any tutoring services that help studentsto
apply the most feasible method of analysis to solve an
engineering technology problem?
2.B. Is there any course materials that help students to
apply the most feasible method of analysis to solve an
engineering technology problem?
1.B
1.C
1.D
2.A
2.B
2.C. Is there any online learning services that help
students to apply the most feasible method of analysis to
solve an engineering technology problem?
2.D. Is there any offline learning services that help
students to apply the most feasible method of analysis to
solve an engineering technology problem?
3.A. Is there any tutoring services that help studentsto
answer engineering technology question in a given time?
2.D
3.B. Is there any course materials that help students to
answer engineering technology question in a given time?
3.B
3.C. Is there any online learning services that help
students to answer engineering technology question in a
given time?
3.D Is there any offline learning
services that help students to answer engineering
technology question in a given time?
4.A. Is there any tutoring
services that help students to answer engineering
technology question with a proper notation and
significant digits?
4.B. Is there any course materials that help students to
answer engineering technology question with a proper
notation and significant digits?
4.C. Is there any online learning services that help
students to answer engineering technology question with
a proper notation and significant digits?
4.D. Is there any offline learning services that help
students to answer engineering technology question with
a proper notation and significant digits?
2.C
3.A
3.C
3.D
4.A
4.B
4.C
4.D