Impact of collaborative learning in electrical engineering education

Abstract

Electrical Engineering Education needs the students to have prior knowledge of mathematical tools and analytical skills which warrants the need for collaborative learning. This paper explores the impact of collaborative learning strategies on the academic performance of students in electrical and electronics engineering. The purpose of this paper is to assess the learning of students in courses with a high quotient of analytical thinking and reasoning. The objective is to enhance the learning of students through creative and collaborative activities designed to ignite young minds. Homogeneous groups were formed and instructions related to collaborative activity were read out in class and made available on the learning management system. Students are given five to eight days for submission of results, interim evaluation, and preparation of presentation which is assessed based on published rubrics. The impact of collaborative learning strategies discussed in this paper is targeted towards the positive growth of individual students acquiring technical and managerial skills. The technical training conducted for students necessitates them to have prerequisite knowledge of foundation courses. It is observed that the students who have experienced collaborative learning methods have performed better during technical training. The collaborative activities have shown a positive response from students in the classroom and their performance in exams has improved. Group activities like chart-making, case-based learning, project-based learning and role play exercise can be planned for few topics in any engineering course design to ignite young minds towards technical topics discussed in theoretical courses with no practical content.