Performance-Based Assessments for Basic Electricity Competencies

The purpose of this exercise is to make absolutely sure students can safely measure voltage with a multimeter.

A good extension of this assessment is to have students demonstrate competency using both digital and analog multimeters!

The purpose of this exercise is to make absolutely sure students can safely measure current with a multimeter.

A good extension of this assessment is to have students demonstrate competency using both digital and analog multimeters!

In this performance assessment, different electricity sources are suggested by way of conversion phenomena. In other words, the instructor will list such things as photovoltaic and piezoelectric, and students will have to choose the correct components to demonstrate conversion of energy into electrical form. Then, students will demonstrate each conversion for the instructor, ranking them in order of the voltage magnitude generated by each demonstration.

The purpose of this exercise is not only for students to obtain a practical understanding of electricity sources, but also to understand the relative magnitudes of each one. It is important for students to know, for instance, that thermoelectricity is a rather weak effect compared to piezoelectricity. This will help them understand the relative sensitivity of sensors and other electrical devices in the future.

Possible sources to list for student demonstration are:

• Photovoltaic

• Piezoelectric

• Electromagnetic

• Chemical

• Thermoelectric

Of course, your selection of sources for student demonstration depends on the parts and equipment available to them.