Assessing Students’ Understanding of Solid-State Electronics in the First Introductory-Level ECE Course

This research paper presents the results of an explorative study to identify what concepts beginning students find challenging regarding semiconductors physics, diodes and transistors at an introductory electric circuits course. In order to prepare students for practically-important and application-relevant circuits and systems, there is a need to properly introduce semiconductors and solid-state electronics early in the electrical/computer engineering curriculum. Such concepts are not traditionally covered in the very first circuits course in most electrical/computer engineering programs. The purpose of this paper is to explore students' level of understanding of basic semiconductor physics, diodes, transistors and simple circuits that utilize such devices. To address the research purpose, we utilize a Design-Based Research (DBR) methodology. Design-Based Research is an iterative process where new theory is developed through applying research and theory to a specific educational problem, developing conjectures about the relationship between variables, testing and then revising educational intervention based on findings and then retesting. We analyze students' final exam scores (n=99) to determine which topics were most challenging and then qualitatively analyze students' work to explore common errors. As more Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) programs look to modernize their introductory courses to include topics of semiconductor physics and devices, this research can inform instructional and curricular interventions.