Video-based, Game-integrated Concept Tutors – Effectiveness in Freshman Courses

Abstract

Many students who take Introduction to Engineering classes are freshmen and need help in learning engineering concepts. In this paper, we discuss the development, implementation, and evaluation of a video-and game-based instructional tool called a concept tutor. These concept tutors focus on one concept at a time, and they can be used as supplemental material to a lecture. These tutors provide additional help to students in explaining the concepts taught in class and reinforcing their learning. The purpose of concept tutors is to increase the undergraduate students' enthusiasm for and attention to the concepts taught using this instructional methodology. The concept tutors engage the students in a learning process meant to improve retention rate.The concept tutor consists of three phases. The first phase is definition and real-world applications of the concept. The second phase includes a step-by-step presentation of the concept in a general format that explains the concept through a targeted problem. In this phase, the concept tutor is split into topic videos. The third phase consists of assessments to measure the students' understanding of the material presented. After viewing each video, the students are required to answer a set of questions that test the concepts they learned. Students are allowed to choose the format of the test. They can choose either a regular multiple-choice assessment or a game-based assessment.Quantitative and qualitative results show that students find such materials useful; furthermore, the students preferred this method to complement a lecture. We report the development methodology of the tutor and evaluation results in this paper.

Video-Based Concept Tutors with Assessment in Game Format for Engineering Courses

“…concentration, Higher order cognitive skills, student enjoyment) students' use in their learning for optimum product factors such as performance, perceived learning, and perceived usefulness. Usually such a model will use the learning module as a moderating variable [26,30].…”

“…In their research, Banu et al [26] used a similar model to show that using concept tutors to introduce students to Simulink in MATLAB (by MathWorks) [12] improved higherorder cognitive skills, concentration and perceived subject matter learning. The students with access to the Simulink concept tutor also performed better than the students that had a classical power point lecture as learning module, obtaining higher scores on their assignment to program an NXT Robot [12] using Simulink.…”

“…Two separate groups of college students [26] at a large southern-eastern university conducted monkey-surveys regarding student use of specialized online tutoring. Students listed YouTube, DVDs, Khan Academy, tutoring study guides from bookstores, and chegg.com as some of the materials that helped them outside class.…”

Video Instruction to Complement All Learning Styles in a First-Year Introduction to Engineering Course

“…1 A wide variety of courses have transitioned to the inverted classroom, or pre-class video instruction format, including electrical engineering, architecture, statics, mechanics, software, and first-year engineering courses. 2,3,4 One concern with incorporating videos in a firstyear course is that surveys have shown first-year students are more likely to watch the videos after the material was used in the course when they are not required to take a quiz. 5 The methods of offering videos to students varies based on the course and the goals of the researchers.…”