Generation-Z learning approaches to improve performance on the fundamentals of engineering exam

Abstract

The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam is now computer-based, allowing examinees to schedule the test more conveniently. The FE is also discipline-specific, so students can focus more on areas related to their course of study. Traditional university FE review courses cover material throughout a semester, eliminating a part of the year where students would take the exam. By developing online learning modules, including short video reviews of particular topics, videos of worked sample problems, and a bank of FE-like problems, students can better prepare for the exam on a just-in-time basis. Redesigning the course to include 5-7 minute topic-specific video reviews, in-class mentoring, application, assessment strategies and more interactive exercises better engages current students, sometimes called Generation Z (GenZ), who are familiar with YouTube, Khan Academy, and other topic-targeted websites. Rather than longer classes with little interaction, students can focus on areas where their knowledge needs improving, view (and re-view) the topic-related videos, and explore example problems on their own, in conjunction with interactive in-class activities. In parallel with subject assessments delivered through our learning management system, we were able to correlate frequency of student viewings of related video reviews to evaluate the overall impact on student performance. This feedback helped the design/development team identify subject areas that students were struggling in. Post-course surveys indicated that students found using the videos and online example problems to be both motivating and instructionally effective. This redesigned approach to the FE review course has been used in consecutive semesters, with encouraging results, and is currently being incorporated in other engineering and computer science courses.