Abstract:

In recent years, new teaching methodologies have entered in the high education scenario: blended learning, problem-based learning, learning-oriented assessment, flip teaching, teamwork, and effective oral and written communication are new pedagogical tools used in novel instruction strategies.

A key issue to guide the application of these new methodologies is the assessment of students’ performance. One broadly used tool for measure the student’s performance in introductory physics is the Brief Electricity and Magnetism Assessment (BEMA), designed specifically as a standardized instrument to evaluate students’ qualitative key concepts understanding of electricity and magnetism (E&M). The reliability and discriminatory capability of BEMA have been previously studied.

In this paper, BEMA is used to analyze the performance of E&M students. The E&M course analyzed is included in two different Bachelor’s Degrees: Industrial Electronics and Automation Engineering (DIEAE) and Aerospace Engineering (DAE) at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), Spain.

Both courses are semester traditional curriculums in which the use of traditional textbooks and screencast have been combined, including flip teaching methodologies. BEMA pre- and post-instruction tests were carried out at the beginning and end of the course respectively.

To deepen the understanding of students’ learning in the E&M courses, BEMA results have been divided into terciles, grouping the students from highest to lowest grades in the final mark of the E&M course. Correlations of pre- and post-instruction scores have been investigated, identifying the main gain and variance in each tercile. The relevant information obtained through the BEMA test will allow teachers to monitor and adapt the use of new methodologies and teaching tools in E&M courses.

Keywords:

Assessment, learner-centered teaching, BEMA test, innovation effectiveness.