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1. Impact of a Step Based Tutoring System on Student Learning at The University of Texas at El Paso

   Chavez, A. ; Erives, H. ; Velez-Reyes, M. ; Skromme, B. J. ( August 2022 , 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN)

   In this paper we describe the historical background of the introductory course in Electric Circuits I, how it has been taught, and the different modifications this course has undergone for the past few years. We describe preliminary results of a new step-based method on student learning which has been applied at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) to improve students’ understanding of the topics covered in this course, and describe the step-based tutoring System, dubbed Circuit Tutor, developed by researchers at the UTEP. The results indicate Circuit Tutor platform can be used as a self-learning tool according to survey answers from students and the increasing passing rate in the Circuits I course. 

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2. Interactive Editing of Circuits in a Step-Based Tutoring System

   Skromme, B ; Redshaw, C. ; Gupta, A ; Gupta, S ; Andrei, P ; Erives, H ; Bailey, A ; Thompson, W ; Bansal, S. ( July 2020 , American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference)

   Step-based tutoring systems are known to be more effective than traditional answer-based systems. They however require that each step in a student’s work be accepted and evaluated automatically to provide effective feedback. In the domain of linear circuit analysis, it is frequently necessary to allow students to draw or edit circuits on their screen to simplify or otherwise transform them. Here, the interface developed to accept such input and provide immediate feedback in the Circuit Tutor system is described, along with systematic assessment data. Advanced simplification methods such as removing circuit sections that are removably hinged, voltage-splittable, or current-splittable are taught to students in an interactive tutorial and then supported in the circuit editor itself. To address the learning curve associated with such an interface, ~70 video tutorials were created to demonstrate exactly how to work the randomly generated problems at each level of each of the tutorials in the system. A complete written record or “transcript” of student’s work in the system is being made available, showing both incorrect and correct steps. Introductory interactive (multiple choice) tutorials are now included on most topics. Assessment of exercises using the interactive editor was carried out by professional evaluators for several institutions, including three that heavily serve underrepresented minorities. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used, including focus groups, surveys, and interviews. Controlled, randomized, blind evaluations were carried out in three different course sections in Spring and Fall 2019 to evaluate three tutorials using the interactive editor, comparing use of Circuit Tutor to both a commercial answer-based system and to conventional textbook-based paper homework. In Fall 2019, students rated the software a mean of 4.14/5 for being helpful to learn the material vs. 3.05/5 for paper homework (HW), p < 0.001 and effect size d = 1.11σ. On relevant exam questions that semester, students scored significantly (p = 0.014) higher with an effect size of d = 0.64σ when using Circuit Tutor compared to paper HW in one class section, with no significant difference in the other section. 

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3. AWeb-Based Writing Exercise Employing Directed Line of Reasoning Feedback for a Course on Electric Circuit Analysis

   Becker, James ; Hacker, Douglas ; Johnson, Christine ( June 2023 , ASEE annual conference exposition)

   The use of writing-based exercises in a circuit analysis course has shown promise in aiding students likely to struggle in the course by enhancing their conceptual understanding of topics related to DC circuit analysis [1]. As grading of writing samples and providing personalized feedback can be time-intensive, automating the evaluation and feedback processes through use of emerging techniques in natural language processing (NLP) could open the door for more widespread use of such writing exercises across STEM courses, thus benefiting students in most need of assistance. In this paper, the development and initial testing of two web-based writing activities that leverage a basic NLP technique to probe student writing related to DC circuits are described. The first writing exercise has students describe what happens to the power of various elements in a resistive circuit as the value of one of the resistors decreases. The second exercise has students consider situations in which the ideal independent voltage and current source models might fail. Both writing exercises are built from a template that includes several metacognitive prompts to spur self-reflection on the part of the user. A rule-based approach was taken to detect evidence of common misconceptions [2] and errors in student responses, as well as to identify sentences that revealed the student was correctly addressing the problems. Based on identified misconceptions or correct concepts in a student’s writing, the web-based application selects appropriate directed line of reasoning (DLR) feedback paths to attempt to lead the writer to an accurate understanding of the behavior of the circuits in question. Key features of the web-based application template as well as details regarding misconception detection and personalized feedback are described. Student impressions of the value of the DLR feedback is assessed using comments provided by the student within the applications. Planned modifications of the web-based writing exercise template based on this formative assessment will be given and address a broader goal of this work – to develop a web-based template that instructors across STEM disciplines, even those without a background in coding, could use to implement their own conceptual writing exercises. 

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4. A Longitudinal Study of the Integration of Writing Support in a Multi-Semester Senior Capstone Course

   Pflueger, Ruth C. ; Meckley, Jonathan A. ( March 2022 , 2022 ASEE North Central Section Annual Conference)

   ABET lists the ability to communicate in writing to both technical and non-technical audiences as a required outcome for baccalaureate engineering students [1]. From emails and memos to formal reports, the ability to communicate is vital to the engineering profession. This Work in Progress paper describes research being done as part of an NSF-funded project, Writing Assignment Tutor Training in STEM (WATTS). The method is designed to improve feedback writing tutors without technical backgrounds give to engineering students on technical reports. Students in engineering programs have few opportunities to develop their writing skills. Usually, composition courses are part of the general education curriculum. Students often see these courses as unrelated to their majors and careers [2]. Ideally, writing support should be integrated throughout a program. Since WATTs capitalizes on existing resources and requires only a modest amount of faculty time, it could enable engineering programs to provide additional writing support to students in multiple courses and provide a bridge for them to see the connection between writing concepts learned in composition courses and their technical reports. WATTS was developed in a junior-level circuit analysis course, where students were completing the same lab and writing individual reports. This paper focuses on a senior capstone course that utilizes concepts taught in previous courses to prepare students to complete an independent team research or design project. Projects are unique, usually based on the needs of an industrial sponsor, and are completed over three consecutive semesters. Each semester, teams write a report based on their activities during that semester, with a comprehensive report in the final semester. The multi-semester nature of the senior design project provides an opportunity for the researchers to chart longitudinal changes from the first to the students’ third semester interactions with the writing tutors, assessing the value of an integrated approach. The program’s impact on students’ attitudes toward revision and the value of tutoring, as well as the impact on tutors, are part of the assessment plan. The program hopes to change the students’ focus from simply presenting their results to communicating them. The goals of the project are to demonstrate to students that revision is essential to the writing process and that feedback can improve their written communication abilities. The expectation is that after graduation they will continue to seek critical feedback as part of their career growth. Surveys given to both students and tutors revealed that the sessions were taken seriously by the students and that meaningful collaboration was achieved between them. An evaluation of the writing in pre-tutored to final submitted report shows statistically significant improvement. Preliminary and current results will be included within the paper. [1] Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Technology Programs, ABET, Baltimore, MD., 2020, p.5, ETAC Criteria (abet.org) [2] Bergmann, L. S. and Zepernick, J., “Disciplinarity and Transfer: Students’ Perceptions of Learning to Write,” Writing Program Administration, 31, Fall/Winter 2007. 

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5. “We Make a Great Team!”: Adults with Low Prior Domain Knowledge Learn more from a Peer Robot than a Tutor Robot

   https://doi.org/10.1109/HRI53351.2022.9889441  

   Salomons, Nicole ; Pineda, Kaitlynn Taylor ; Adejare, Aderonke ; Scassellati, Brian ( January 2022 , ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI 2022))

   In peer tutoring, the learner is taught by a colleague rather than by a traditional tutor. This strategy has been shown to be effective in human tutoring, where students have higher learning gains when taught by a peer instead of a traditional tutor. Similar results have been shown in child-robot interactions studies, where a peer robot was more effective than a tutor robot at teaching children. In this work, we compare skill increase and perception of a peer robot to a tutor robot when teaching adults. We designed a system in which a robot provides personalized help to adults in electronic circuit construction. We compare the number of learned skills and preferences of a peer robot to a tutor robot. Participants in both conditions improved their circuit skills after interacting with the robot. There were no significant differences in number of skills learned between conditions. However, participants with low prior domain knowledge learned significantly more with a peer robot than a tutor robot. Furthermore, the peer robot was perceived as friendlier, more social, smarter, and more respectful than the tutor robot, regardless of initial skill level. 

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