Physics education research in an engineering context

We report on an ongoing investigation of student understanding in several introductory engineering courses at Hamburg University of Technology. Preliminary results from a first-year electrical engineering course indicate that many students did not gain a conceptual understanding of the material. Some students had difficulty interpreting graphical representations of information or displayed a lack of understanding of basic principles. Specific examples concerning load lines and three-phase systems are used to illustrate how general findings from physics education research can guide investigations of student understanding and the development of curriculum in an introductory engineering context.