2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The best paper in the Mechanical Engineering Division in 2022 showed that student learning increased with weekly quizzes rather than daily homework. Their work focused on mastery learning with multiple attempts at each quiz (1) . As a mid-point, we evaluated whether the multiple attempts at each quiz was required to see the increase in student learning they showed. In Engineering Statics Course Evaluations, students often complained that daily homework assignments consume time, which they said instead, should be allocating towards midterm exams preparation. The current study addresses whether routine assignment of homework increases students’ exam scores. For this purpose, two groups of students are considered. First, students who were enrolled in Fall of 2021, and second the group of students from the ongoing semester, Fall of 2022. For this ongoing fall semester, the only change to the course was that homework was not assigned. In comparing student performance, not assigning homework led to a slight improvement in the average midterm grade. This study remains incomplete until students take the Engineering Statics Final Exam and until course evaluations are released.

1. Hylton, J., & Funke, L. (2022, August), Journey towards competency-based grading for mechanical engineering computer applications Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. https://peer.asee.org/41349