Tutorials And In Class Activity For Improving Student Performance In A First Year Engineering Course

Abstract

with a joint appointment in the Department of Bioengineering. Dr. Benson teaches first year engineering, research methods, and graduate engineering education courses. Her research interests include student-centered active learning in undergraduate engineering, assessment of motivation, and how motivation affects student learning. She is also involved in projects that utilize Tablet PCs to enhance student learning. Her education includes a B.S. in Bioengineering from the University of Vermont, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Bioengineering from Clemson University.

Unlocking the Gate to Calculus Success: Pre-Calculus for Engineers - An Assertive Approach to Readying Underprepared Students

“…A relationship exists between the highest levels of math course completed in high school to college course placement 7 .Calculus readiness is correlated to high school GPA 8 , which suggests that most engineering students, who tend to be near the top of their high school classes, Page 23.1285.3 should be successful in calculus I. Yet an overall, high failure rate for calculus I takers persists; more than 35%-40% of students do not pass the course 6,9,10 .…”

“…Peer tutoring has been demonstrated to improve student performance in math courses 20,21 . In recent years, online tutorial systems have been implemented to improve student learning 10,22,23,24 .…”