Topical guide objectives: A teaching method for encouraging excellence in undergraduate STEM student performance

Abstract

In this paper, a novel formalized teaching method is presented for encouraging excellence in undergraduate student performance. This approach is a modified implementation of the teaching method used at the Naval Nuclear Power Training Command, which was made more appropriate for civilian engineering undergraduate students. The objective of this method is to prepare students academically, creatively, and morally, and to engender ideals of integrity, professionalism, and lifelong learning and teaching. The presented teaching method has three stages. First, students are required to perform daily assignments, which constitute the fundamental definitions, equations and concepts of the course material are broken up into "Topical Guide Objectives" (TGOs). This stage ensures students are taught the necessary background material - a major factor in engineering dropout rates - and gives the students opportunity to become familiar with how the professor phrases questions for quizzes and exams. Second, students are given example questions in class which use the TGO fundamentals to solve complex problems. Third, students are presented with "Combining Concepts" questions, which included quotes from industry leaders in order to test a student's ability to critically think, and encourages performance-based learning as opposed to rote memorization. This method was implemented at the University of South Florida for five undergraduate Computer Architecture courses, one section of Foundations of Engineering, and subsequently in one section of the Advanced Digital Systems course at the University of Mississippi. Using the same grading scales as previous semesters, students achieved a 13.5% improvement in median performance and covered significantly more material. Many students said they used the methods learned in the course to improve their study habits in subsequent courses. Additionally, many students expressed that they were better prepared for job interviews in the material covered in my course.