Efficacy of a Final Lab Practicum and Lab Reports for Assessment in a Fundamentals Electric Circuits Laboratory

In a fundamental electrical engineering laboratory course, the traditional team based approach to laboratory structure with two or more members per lab team was not as effective for teaching basic laboratory skills and knowledge as a lab structure that allowed students to perform laboratory exercises individually throughout the semester.The laboratory report was insensitive and insufficient to measure the difference in the laboratory abilities and knowledge from these two groups.In order to assess the students' laboratory knowledge and abilities, it was necessary to develop a new assessment instrument that would be sufficient for this purpose.The students' performance on the final laboratory practicum exam provided an effective and verifiable objective metric with sufficient specificity to differentiate between the traditional team based and solo participation lab groups.Students who performed their laboratory exercises individually during the semester showed noticeable improvement in their ability to apply rudimentary laboratory skills and knowledge to basic circuits analysis applications in their final lab practicum scores.The study was performed over five consecutive semesters with 160 students sub-divided into control (traditional lab teams) and solo groups.Students in the control group performed the weekly laboratory exercises in lab teams of two or more while students in the solo group worked independently.The solo group exhibited statistically significant higher scores on the final lab practicum as compared to the control group; however, the lab report was not sufficiently sensitive to distinguish these differences.The results of this study indicated that students must be fully engaged in all laboratory exercises to thoroughly and properly learn and retain the skills and knowledge required to perform basic fundamental circuit analysis.The employment of an adequate and verifiable assessment instrument with requisite sensitivity to measure these laboratory knowledge and skills was essential to corroborate adherence to these laboratory objectives.