Improving Student Learning of Basic Electric Circuits Concepts Using Current Technology

This paper describes web-based supplemental materials developed at California State Polytechnic University Pomona that enable students at any time during their academic career to review and practice fundamental network analysis concepts.Students interact with these materials via a web browser, making them platform independent.The project targets improving both learning and retention by providing engaging interactive online resources, including lectures, motivated by practical real-world examples and supported by embedded self-tests.These learning materials are being used to enrich student learning in the initial networks course, but can also be accessed by students in follow-on courses to refresh their knowledge at any time.The original project focused on web-based learning materials, but is now being extended to include a variety of related tools including the web-based simulation tools CircuitLab [1] and National Instrument's myDAQ [2] measurement and instrumentation devices.Our preliminary assessment results indicate that the web-based resources improve students' learning.Also, our surveys indicate weak students benefit significantly from our short videos of problem solutions.