Evaluation of a new self-study platform for introductory digital systems

• Autores: David Bañeres, Robert Clarisó
• Localización: The International journal of engineering education, ISSN-e 0949-149X, Vol. 35, no. 1 (Parte A ), 2019, págs. 286-303
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Most Bachelor programs in Computer and Electrical Engineering include an introductory course on the foundations ofdigital system design, e.g., combinational and sequential circuits. In this course, students have many difficultiesunderstanding core concepts such as Boolean function minimization or circuit analysis. A potential remedy to thesedifficulties is self-assessment with automatic feedback, which can facilitate the acquisition of digital system designcompetences by allowing students to experiment with a large collection of exercises and quickly realize their mistakes. Thispaper aims to evaluate how an educational software tool with self-assessment features capable of providing feedback withdifferent levels of granularity can help students acquire these core concepts. To this end, a tutoring tool to promote theacquisition of Boolean function minimization and circuit analysis skills has been implemented. Next, a quantitative andqualitative analysis on its use has been performed. Evidence shows that the self-assessment tutor has a positive impact onacademic performance during the semesters under analysis. Additionally, survey responses show a high degree ofacceptance and satisfaction with the tutoring tool.