Work in progress: Implementation of enhanced guided notes and collaborative note-taking in learning electric circuit concepts

Abstract

The major aim of this research was to develop new instructional materials and strategies to support engineering students, who are not electrical engineering majors, to learn electric circuit concepts. The study focused on activity Phase #3 of the Work in Progress paper presented at the 41st Frontiers in Education conference. The implementation of this phase included: (1) implementing enhanced guided-notes (EGN) with a collaborative note-taking effort; and (2) evaluating students' notes shared in collaborative notebooks. Selected students were provided an iPad 2™ and an application which allowed editing of the EGN, while other students were provided hard copies of the different sets throughout the semester. Furthermore, students were asked to complete online social networking surveys at the beginning and end of the semester. The instructor developed EGN to facilitate note-taking and note-sharing during the semester. An online repository system was created to allow iPad-groups of students to complete and edit EGNs that were created to facilitate note-sharing submission. Students worked in groups of three or four to complete the EGN and self-evaluation sections beginning in EGN 6 and continuing to EGN 11.