WIP: Exploring the Value of a Debugging Cheat Sheet and Mini Lecture in Improving Undergraduate Debugging Skills and Mindset

Abstract

This work-in-progress research paper explores the efficacy of a small-scale microelectronics debugging education intervention utilizing quasi-experimental design in an introductory microelectronics course for third-year electrical and computer engineering (ECE) students. In the first semester of research, the experimental group attended a debugging "mini lecture" covering two common sources of circuit error and received a debugging cheat sheet with recommendations for testing and hypothesis formation. Across three debugging problems, students in the experimental group were faster by an average of 1:43 and had a 7 percent higher success rate than the control group. Both groups demonstrated a strong general growth mindset while the experimental group also displayed a shift in their debugging mindset by perceiving a greater value towards debugging. Though these differences are not yet statistically significant, the pilot results indicate that a mini-lecture and debugging cheat sheet are steps in the right direction toward improving students' readiness for debugging in the workplace.

This is the accepted version of a paper accepted for presentation at the 2025 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE). The final version will be available via IEEE Xplore at: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org