2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Design Curriculum in Introductory Circuits Laboratory Assignments and the Influence on Innovation Self-Efficacy

Presented at Design in Engineering Education Division (DEED) - Best in DEED

This paper examines the impact of integrated design elements in a second-year introductory circuits course on students’ innovation self-efficacy (ISE). Building upon a pilot study from Spring 2024, this research focuses on the implementation of updated laboratory assignments in one section of the course while maintaining the original curriculum in a parallel section. The updated curriculum emphasizes experiential learning through active learning engagement, simulation exercises, open-ended design challenges, and reflection. This allows students to navigate the full design process, from conceptualization to testing and evaluation.

Results from the ISE measurement instrument show significant increases in six of eight ISE factors exclusively in the research group. Reflective responses support these results and highlight that active and experiential learning with integrated design elements can be augmented by leveraging technology, leading to a challenging and yet fulfilling and meaningful learning experience.

Authors

Ms. Heather Michelle Phillips http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8241-4340 University of Pittsburgh [biography]

Heather Phillips is a BPhil graduate in Engineering Physics from the University of Pittsburgh and an incoming Electrical Engineering PhD student at Stanford University.
Mr. Nicholas Anthony Nobile http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7990-236X University of Pittsburgh [biography]

Nicholas A. Nobile is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Pittsburgh who studies Integrated Photonic Computing with a focus in Memory Control and Optimization. He has presented at multiple conferences including CLEO and Photonics West.
Gabriel Azure Antonio Mendez-Sanders Carnegie Mellon University [biography]

Gabriel Mendez-Sanders is a fifth year student and researcher in Carnegie Mellon University's Department of Chemical Engineering.
Mr. Lee Allen Dosse University of Pittsburgh [biography]

Lee A. Dosse is a PhD student working with the Engineering Education Research Center at the University of Pittsburgh.
Dr. Ahmed Dallal http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0573-2326 University of Pittsburgh [biography]

Dr. Dallal is an assistant professor at the department of electrical and computer engineering, Unversity of Pittsburgh, since August 2017. Dr. Dallal's primary focus is on education development and innovation. His research interests include biomedical signal processing, biomedical image analysis, and computer vision, as well as machine learning, networked control systems, and human-machine learning.
Mr. Mohamed A. S. Zaghloul http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5061-0198 [biography]

Mohamed A. S. Zaghloul was born in Cairo, Egypt, in 1987. He received his B.Sc. degree in Electronics and Electrical Communications Engineering in 2009, and his M.Sc. degree in Engineering Physics in 2012, both from the Faculty of Engineering at Cairo University. In 2019, he received his PhD from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh, where he is currently working as an Assistant Professor. His research interests are engineering education, and in the area of optics; he specializes in developing optical fiber-based sensors for monitoring harsh environments.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 22, 2025, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 25, 2025

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