How much do they really understand? An entry-level test for electricity and electromagnetics

Abstract

First-year engineering numbers have grown considerably over the last decade, and there has been an even greater increase in student diversity. In order to support these students effectively, and to ensure the courses they take remain appropriate, the academic preparedness of these students must be determined. For these reasons, the lecturers in the year-one engineering course Electrical and Digital Systems introduced in 2007 a short diagnostic test at the start of their course to determine the level of understanding of electricity and electromagnetics possessed by the incoming students. This paper presents and discusses the main student misconceptions revealed by the diagnostic test and subsequent investigations, and notes some compelling matches with international research findings. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2009.