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This project supports the success of undergraduate engineering students through coordinated design of curricula across STEM course sequences. The Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation (ADDIE) framework and backward design are being used to develop guides for instructors to align learning outcomes, assessments, and instructional materials in a physics – engineering mechanics course sequence. The approach relies on the analysis of student learning outcomes in each course, identification of interdependent learning outcomes, and development of skills hierarchies in the form of visual learning maps. The learning maps are used to illustrate the knowledge required and built upon throughout the course sequence. This study will assess the effectiveness of a course redesign intervention, which uses visual learning maps and backward design concepts, to guide instructors within a common course sequence to align learning outcomes and assessments. If successful, the intervention is expected to improve students’ primary learning and knowledge retention, as well as persistence and success in the degree. The study will compare academic performance among Mechanical Engineering B.S., Environmental Engineering B.S., and Civil Engineering B.S. students who begin a Physics for Engineers – Statics – Dynamics course prior to the intervention (control) and after the intervention (treatment). During control and treatment terms, students’ primary learning in individual courses will be assessed using established concept inventories. Retention of knowledge from pre-requisite courses will be tracked using pre-identified problem sets (quizzes, exams) specifically associated with interdependent learning outcomes in the Statics and Dynamics courses. Students’ primary learning and knowledge retention in the sequence will be related to longer term student success outcomes, including retention and graduation. The poster will show the results of the research team’s first year of work, including an analysis of current course materials, learning maps for each course, identification of interdependent learning outcomes, example guiding materials and templates for instructors, and preliminary student performance data from the control cohort.
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This content will become publicly available on April 25, 2026
Interactive Learning in Microelectronics Education: Comparing PC and Mixed Reality Approaches for Student Engagement and Visual-Spatial Memory
The microelectronics industry continues to face a persistent talent gap, highlighting the need for effective learning modules to engage future engineering students. Mixed Reality (MR) offers a promising hands-on approach for teaching complex visual-spatial structure of microelectronic; however, whether MR-based instruction outperforms conventional desktop interfaces in enhancing visual-spatial memory for microelectronics education remains unclear. In this preliminary study, we developed an interactive “LEGO-like” assembly experience in both MR and PC formats to compare their effects on students’ learning experiences. Visual-spatial knowledge was assessed through three quiz tasks—component name recognition, visual selection, and spatial ordering—administered before the intervention, immediately afterward, 24 hours later, and again at six weeks to evaluate retention. Preliminary findings suggest that PC users exhibited greater immediate knowledge gains (PC: 89%, MR: 73%), whereas MR users demonstrated stronger retention at the six-week mark. We discuss these results and directions for future research.
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- PAR ID:
- 10599397
- Publisher / Repository:
- CHI EA '25: Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
- Date Published:
- ISBN:
- 9798400713958
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1 to 8
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- Mixed Reality STEM Education Semiconductor Education Knowledge Retention
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Location:
- Yokohama Japan
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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