Conference Session

Pedagogy and Assessment in ECE II

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gerard Rowe, University of Auckland; Chris Smaill, University of Auckland; Lawrence Carter, University of Auckland; Elizabeth Godfrey, University of Technology Sydney; Bernard Guillemin, The University of Auckland; Mark Andrews, University of Auckland; Waleed Abdulla, University of Auckland

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

students identified and thenumber of Foundation tutorial sessions run are presented in Table 1. Course Year Class Size Number of Number of at-risk Foundation students tutorials Circ. & Sys 2008 149 42 6 Circ. & Sys 2009 133 63 13 Electromag. 2008 148 35 6 Electromag. 2009 131 42 5 Electronics 2009 131 38

Conference Session

Pedagogy and Assessment in ECE II

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Christopher Van Arsdale, Michigan Technological University; Anna Pereira, Michigan Technological University; Leonard Bohmann, Michigan Technological University; Michele Miller, Michigan Technological University; William Helton, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

. Thequestions asked about the prior experience of the student in preschool, middle school,high school, and post-high school. These questions included both academic and non-academic experiences. The answer options range 1-4 for each question to indicate theamount of exposure with that particular experience. The questions for the PEQ weredeveloped in [2] as an instrument help predict spatial ability test scores. It was derivedfrom a much larger series of questions about spatial experiences (approximately 480) thatthrough a series of pilot studies, was pared down to approximately 312 questions aboutformal academic subjects, non-academic activities, and sports [2]. These 312 questionswere reduced to the 148 that were used in this study. The results of [2

Conference Session

Student Engagement in ECE

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eric Freudenthal, University of Texas, El Paso; Rebeca Gonzalez, Chapin High School; Sarah Hug, University of Colorado; Alexandria Ogrey, University of Texas, El Paso; Mary Kay Roy, University of Texas, El Paso; Alan Siegel, NYU

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

ability to understand and apply foundational quantitative analysis skills and interest in pursuingSTEM studies. Our research plans include a longitudinal study of academic progress that examines thesuccess of students who pursue STEM studies after attending MPCT.Pedagogical Approach Our orientation is that programming techniques in early courses should be chosen to minimize cognitiveload while maximizing pedagogical value. The focusing of MPCT to introductory computation included asignificant reevaluation of the programming interfaces used to support coursework. The originalprogramming interface used the rich object oriented (OO) Java AWT toolbox exposed by the programmingframework of [1]. With this approach, even the design of extremely simple

Conference Session

Embedded System Design

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bin Wang, Wright State University; Zhiqiang Wu, Wright State University; Yong Pei, Wright State University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

receiverusing Matlab simulations. We would like to take the educational concept one step further toenable students to experiment and build SDR based working systems in their coursework andtraining. Transmitter Software Based RF DAC Communication Frontend Transmitter Receiver Software Based RF ADC Communication Frontend Receiver Figure 1. Typical software radio block diagram.Preliminary Course

Conference Session

Pedagogy and Assessment in ECE III

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Greg Nordstrom, Lipscomb University; John Pettit, David Lipscomb University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

acontinuous process of data collection, assessment, evaluation, and results-driven change can aprogram remain viable in the long term.Program Improvement ProcessWithin the Electrical and Computer Engineering department at Lipscomb University, our processof continuous improvement closely follows the ABET “Assessment for Quality Assurance” Page 15.101.2model3 and includes two major loops of activity: 1) an “Objectives” loop where data related toour Program Educational Objectives (PEOs) are assessed and evaluated and 2) an “Outcomes”loop where data related to our Program Outcomes (POs) are assessed and evaluated. Together,these loops produce evaluation

Conference Session

Pedagogy and Assessment in ECE

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gordon Skelton, Jackson State University; Wei Zheng, Jackson State University; HuiRu Shih, Jackson State University; Evelyn Leggette, Jackson State University; Tzusheng Pei, Jackson State University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

affect it. For example, if one establishes a schedule forstudying in the library after class for 4 hours each day. Initially the environment is acceptableand there is measured improvement in the retention of the materials being studied. However,once the outside temperature begins to fall, the library environment becomes uncomfortable.For this reason, study times are reduced to only one hour. The student must be recognize thatreducing one’s study time to only one hour is not sufficient and an immediate change must bemade to provide to a better environment. Two possible approaches are 1) to ask the librarian incharge if there are ways to modify the inside temperature or 2) find an equally suitable locationthat has a more acceptable temperature

Conference Session

Pedagogy and Assessment in ECE III

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mark Cambron, Western Kentucky University; Stacy Wilson, Western Kentucky University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

AC 2010-1314: ASSESSING A PROJECT-BASED PROGRAM AFTER A DECADEMark Cambron, Western Kentucky UniversityStacy Wilson, Western Kentucky University Page 15.197.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2010 ASSESSING A PROJECT-BASED PROGRAM AFTER A DECADEIntroductionThe Department of Engineering at Western Kentucky University (WKU) was given the rareopportunity to develop entirely new engineering programs. On July 17, 2000, the Council onPostsecondary Education (CPE) approved the Strategy for Statewide Engineering Education inKentucky. This strategy is intended to address two primary issues: 1.) the need to increase thenumber of baccalaureate engineers in the

Conference Session

Embedded System Design

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sven Bilen, Pennsylvania State University; Okhtay Azarmanesh, Pennsylvania State University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

using theirtheoretical knowledge of communication in those problems. In addition, hands-on experience isalways one of the best methods to learn what is learned theoretically.Student Experiences and Observations of the ChallengeIn the three years of participating in the Challenge, the Penn State students involved feel thatthey have gained significantly from their participation. Working on several different problemshas provided them solid grounding in concepts that were pure theory to them before.To give an example, the Penn State students designed a tree structure for a modulation-classification (MC) process (Figure 1) for part of their solution to the 2008 Challenge.2 Thestudents had elected to work on problem to “develop a smart radio terminal

Conference Session

Electrical & Computer Engineering Division Poster Session

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Khalid Al-Olimat, Ohio Northern University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

, construction, testing, and evaluation.” Simply, engineering design isthe use of theoretical knowledge to bring useful systems to reality.The structure of senior design experience varies from one university to another. Someuniversities offer this course as a one semester course and others offer it as a year-long course. Page 15.155.2ONU requires students to take a year-long (three quarters) senior design sequence. The sequenceconsists of three courses; senior design seminar (2-credit hours), senior design (3-credit hours),and engineering technical communication (1-credit hour). The list of senior design projects isgiven to students in the last week of

Conference Session

Innovations in Power Education in ECE

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mark Lau, Universidad del Turabo; Sastry Kuruganty, Universidad del Turabo

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

the differential equations that describe thebehavior of synchronous machines.Transient stability is very rich in technical and mathematical content. As such it is a challengingtopic for students to grasp and for instructors to present. This paper uses spreadsheets toimplement the step-by-step procedure that is typical in a transient stability study. Unlikecommercially available power system software, spreadsheets expose the solution steps withclarity without obscuring the inner workings of the numerical methods employed.1. IntroductionStability is a major concern in the planning and operation of power systems. Networkdisturbances such as a short circuit in a transmission line, sudden loss of generation, or the lossof a large load may cause

Conference Session

Innovations in ECE Education II

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stuart Wentworth, Auburn University; Dennis Silage, Temple University; Michael Baginski, Auburn University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

Engineering Education, 2010 Individualized MATLAB Projects In Undergraduate ElectromagneticsAbstractFour projects are described that require students to compose individualized MATLAB programs tosolve a problem in electromagnetics. These projects are: (1) vector electric field from anarbitrary charge distribution, (2) vector magnetic field from an arbitrary current distribution, (3)frequency dependent reflection coefficient looking into impedance matching networks, and (4)beam pattern for an arbitrarily arranged 4 dipole array.IntroductionMATLAB projects are often assigned in undergraduate electromagnetics courses, in part to satisfythe ABET criteria on use of modern engineering tools. The best

Conference Session

Innovations in ECE Education II

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mark Lau, Universidad del Turabo; Sastry Kuruganty, Universidad del Turabo

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

methods. Spreadsheets offer a transparentalternative − perhaps proximate to hand calculation − for students to better appreciate thenumerical methods for solving boundary-value problems.1. IntroductionMany phenomena arising in science and engineering are modeled by partial differentialequations (PDEs). In such cases the quantity of interest (e.g., temperature, potential, ordisplacement) is a function that depends on more than one variable (typically, space variables x,y, z and the temporal variable t). The heat equation, wave equation, and Laplace’s equation areamong the most common PDEs that undergraduate engineering students will encounter. Theusual practice is to introduce the student to the analytical solution of these equations via themethod

Conference Session

New Trends in ECE Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wookwon Lee, Gannon University; Sreeramachandra K. Mutya, Gannon University; Kirankumar Palthi, Gannon University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

current state as described below with more details, theproject has produced a complete test-bed system that can be used as a basis for developinglaboratory experiments for undergraduate courses in wireless communications. The rest of thispaper is organized as follows. Section II briefly describes our test-bed system, Section IIIprovides details of implementation for mesh networking capability among the network nodes,and Section IV provides implementation details for mobility control of mobile robots. In SectionV, relevant ABET criteria are discussed along with brief descriptions of suggested laboratoryexperiments. Finally, concluding remarks are provided in Section VI.II. System DescriptionA. Test-bed of an Indoor Positioning SystemFigure 1 shows

Conference Session

Innovations in ECE Education II

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Deborah Mechtel, United States Naval Academy; Samara Firebaugh, United States Naval Academy

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

laboratoryexercises beyond the initial course offering that focus on optical propagation and antennadesign will be described. Student and instructor assessment of the efficacy of thelaboratory exercises will be discussed. The added laboratory’s influence on formalcourse evaluations and exam results will be presented.IntroductionSeveral approaches to assist student comprehension of abstract electrodynamics conceptshave been proposed. These methods range from simulations using numerical packages,spread sheets and mathematical computational packages to hardware based experimentsto facilitate student learning 1-4. This paper proposes a new addition to practicallaboratory experiences that take students from their initial design, simulation, andfabrication to the

Conference Session

Laboratory Development in ECE

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

R.F. William Hollender, Montana State University; James Becker, Montana State University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

senior design project be commissioned to develop a continuous wave Dopplerradar module for use perhaps as a case-study demonstration for the course. Figure 1 shows aphotograph of the product of the senior design project.The Doppler radar module shown in Figure 1 was designed to operate at 5.8 GHz and utilizescommercial components save for the single in-house designed component – a nominal 10 dBcoupler used to split the signal from the voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) to serve both as atransmit signal and as the local oscillator (LO) for the mixer. The radar operates on the principlethat, when scattered by a moving target, the transmitted signal is shifted in frequency by anamount dependent on the target’s velocity relative to the radar. The

Conference Session

Pedagogy and Assessment in ECE II

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Aman Yadav, Purdue University; Mary Lundeberg, Michigan State University; Dipendra Subedi, Michigan State University; Charles Bunting, Oklahoma State University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

; about fifteen percent in electricalengineering (N=8), and remaining were majoring in other disciplines including civil engineering(N=3), biosystems engineering (N=3), industrial engineering and management, architecture(N=1), and two did not report their major.ProcedureThis study utilized pre-post test in an A-B-A-B research design. Specifically, this research designinvolved measuring the dependent variable (i.e., students’ conceptual understanding) both beforeand after the baseline phase (i.e., first A - traditional lecture method for Ohm’s and Kirchoff’sLaws); introducing the treatment (i.e., first B -project-based learning for Operational Amplifiers)and measuring the dependent variable before and after the treatment phase; using a second

Conference Session

Laboratory Development in ECE

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kejia Li, Kansas State University; Steve Warren, Kansas State University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

focuses on (1) plug-and-play, point-of-care medical monitoring systems that utilize interoperability standards, (2) wearable sensors and signal processing techniques for the determination of human and animal physiological status, and (3) educational tools and techniques that maximize learning and student interest. Dr. Warren is a member of the American Society for Engineering Education and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Page 15.40.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2010 A High-Performance Wireless Reflectance Pulse Oximeter for Photo-Plethysmogram

Conference Session

Design in the ECE Curriculum

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeffrey Richardson, Purdue University; Leslie Reed, Reed Environmental

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

problems as thegroundwork for classroom activities. Many creativity enhancement efforts involve externalstimuli based on design problems, puzzles and exercises that are provided or created by someoneelse. Finding and formulating problems are key methods for helping students become moreautonomous and less dependent on external rewards. Innovation is most often associated with thereframing of old problems in new way, but given that people approach and solve problems in thedomains that interest them, giving students the opportunity to pose their own problems drawnfrom their day-to-day experience taps into the intrinsically motivating aspects of designing8.Lecture Materials and Class ActivitiesWeek 1, Day 1: Introduction to InnovationStudents were

Conference Session

Web-based Learning in ECE

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sumit Dutta, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Shreya Prakash, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; David Estrada, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Eric Pop, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

controlled by a computer for data capturevia the IEEE-488 general purpose interface bus (GPIB) or through Ethernet ports utilizing theVXI-11 protocol.1 This has ushered in an era of remote instrument control for virtual laboratoriesas the World-Wide-Web (WWW) and WWW-capable instruments have become ubiquitous.While web-based remote instrumentation control has been investigated for over a decade, theseenvironments have generally centered on Java server software, PHP Hypertext Processor (PHP)server scripts, or direct control via LabView.1-4 Previous LabView implementations of remoteelectronic measurements require users to download either a ~100 megabyte LabView plug-in ora specific Java Runtime Engine,5 in addition to having a compliant browser.6

Conference Session

New Trends in ECE Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sarvesh Kulkarni, Villanova University; Joseph Chop, Villanova University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

! ∀ # ∃ ∃%&& ∋ ( # # ∀ ( # ! )!∗! ) ( # ) + ,−.& ! + ∃ /!+∃0 1 2 3 + !2 /3 +! 1 ∃ /4+ ∃1 2 , !+∃04+ ∃ 2 / 1 5 6 7 ∀ 8

Conference Session

Electrical & Computer Engineering Division Poster Session

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ramakrishnan Sundaram, Gannon University; Qing Zheng, Gannon University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

insubjects with STEM components (c) promote the interaction between the engineeringfaculty at Gannon University and the K-12 school students through activities whichdeliver critical STEM components.Recently, the ECE department at Gannon University, Erie, PA organized twoEngineering Day events in its system integration laboratory. The laboratoryaccommodated nearly 105 high school students in six hour-long sessions with up to 20students in each session. During each session, the students worked on a traffic signalcontrol circuit. The project activities comprised the following steps (1) complete thedesign of the circuit (2) test the operation of the circuit. Two ECE faculty members andsixteen ECE students currently enrolled in the undergraduate ECE

Conference Session

Web-based Learning in ECE

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dale Buechler, University of Wisconsin, Platteville

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

analogelectronics was analyzed using grounded theory8 resulting in the list of most common studentconceptual errors shown in Table 1. Two problematic concepts: transistor biasing for maximum Page 15.257.4signal swing and transistor frequency response were selected for the think-aloud sessions.Difficult Concepts for Past Students in Analog Electronics 1. Frequency response 2. Transistor biasing 3. Small-signal analysis 4. Voltage regulation 5. Multi-diode circuitsTable 1. Top five difficult concepts for students in analog electronics (Spr. 2007, Spr. 2008)For both think-aloud sessions the students were asked to use their pen tablet to write out

Conference Session

Laboratory Development in ECE

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Huihui Xu, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Xiaoyan Mu, Southeast Missouri State University; Deborah Walter, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

AC 2010-2017: THREE PRACTICAL DEMONSTRATIONS IN BEEM PROJECTHuihui Xu, Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyXiaoyan Mu, Southeast Missouri State UniversityDeborah Walter, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Page 15.1266.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2010 Three Practical Demonstrations in BEEM Project Abstract This paper presents three practical examples that have been created in the BEEM 1  (Biomedical and Electrical Engineering Methods) project at Rose­Hulman Institute of Technology.  These examples are used to introduce respectively (1) Construction of a prototype electrocardiogram measurement system, (2) Use of inductance coils to perform as

Conference Session

Laboratory Development in ECE

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alexander Ganago, University of Michigan; Inger Bergom, University of Michigan; Britton Wolfe, Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

can pass on their experiential knowledge to the next.”More information about the wiki (including screen shots) is provided in the Appendix.Research Questions and Methodology Our work addresses the following questions: 1) In what ways do TAs use the website,and which of its parts are most helpful for TAs’ teaching and the improvement of their teaching?2) Is there any difference in website usage between the new TAs and the TAs who have alreadytaught the course? 3) What prompts TAs to add information to the wiki, and what inhibits themfrom adding information? Our research tools include online questionnaires for TAs, focus groups, and statisticsabout website usage. We gathered data from two semesters — winter 2009 (Jan.–Apr

Conference Session

Embedded System Design

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Paul Weber, Lake Superior State University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

a group of their peers that the application is commercially and ethically viable. Surveyresults were taken from three different classes using a 9-value Likert scale. The current researchwill explain the pedagogical basis for using competition in such presentations and a discussion oftrade-offs, observations of how to implement such presentations at different student levels, andtheir impact on student motivation.1. IntroductionIt is the role of every engineering degree-granting institution to make sure their students have asolid background in the core topics of their specific field as well as engineering in general. Asengineers, they must then be able to integrate this knowledge in order to utilize a more holisticview4 when designing

Conference Session

Design in the ECE Curriculum

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Natalia Litchinitser, SUNY at Buffalo; Albert H. Titus, SUNY at Buffalo; Alexander N. Cartwright, SUNY at Buffalo; Vladimir V. Mitin, SUNY at Buffalo

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

Bioimagingoptical scanners, displays, solid-state Energylighting, laser printers, and biological Page 15.901.2and chemical sensors. More Figure 1: This project focuses on the development of tailorableimportantly, the ability to either modules for education in nanophotonics.manipulate materials with nanometer-scale control to produce desired optical properties or theability to use photonic technologies to perform these modifications will usher in newtechnologies from improvements in biological imaging to the development of novel biosensorsfor systems that range from personal health monitoring to

Conference Session

Electrical & Computer Engineering Division Poster Session

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

L. Brent Jenkins, Southern Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

course to improve student engagement,especially in the course's concurrent lab6-9. This paper describes efforts to embed derivation anddesign assignments into an "electronics-free" circuits course, primarily in its laboratory component.Six sections follow: a lecture excerpt, three laboratory exercises, an assessment section, and aconclusion. Bold subtitles are used to identify the start of each of these sections. In the interestof clarity, the laboratory exercises will be referred to as Labs 1, 2, and 3. To improve readability,blanks that would normally be included for student use have been omitted.The lecture excerpt and laboratory exercise sections include various sub-sections that arepresented herein using italicized sub-headings. The

Conference Session

Innovations in ECE Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

L. Brent Jenkins, Southern Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

coursesis achieved by including intermediate-level coverage of transient analysis and introductory-levelcoverage of mutual inductance, ideal transformers, transfer functions, frequency response,resonance, filtering, and two-port networks. The impact of this intermediate- and introductory- Page 15.14.2level content is maximized through the inclusion of relevant exercises in the concurrent lab.Figure 1 compares the coverage of topics in Circuits I to that of a traditional two-semestercircuits sequence. "Extended" content is material normally associated with Circuits II that isbeing covered in Circuits I, while "shifted" content refers to

Conference Session

Embedded System Design

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Firas Hassan, Ohio Northern University; Srinivasa Vemuru, Ohio Northern University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

. Page 15.805.3Lab session oneIn blackjack, the cards are valued as follows: The cards from 2 through 9 are valued as indicated.The 10, Jack, Queen, and King are all valued at 10. The suits of the cards do not have anymeaning in the game. The value of a hand is simply the sum of the point counts of each card inthe hand. For example, a hand containing (5, 7, 9) has the value of 21. The Ace can be countedas either 1 or 11. You need not specify which value the Ace has. It's assumed to always havethe value that makes the best hand. The dealer must continue to take cards ("hit") until his total is17 or greater. The player can choose to stop drawing cards (stand) at any value. If the hand isabove 21, it is a bust.In the first lab session, students

Conference Session

Design in the ECE Curriculum

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Randal Abler, Georgia Tech; James Krogmeier, Purdue University; Aaron Ault, Purdue University; Julia Melkers, Georgia Institute of Technology; Tamara Clegg, Georgia Institute of Technology; Edward Coyle, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

improve bothVIP and the collaborative system.1. IntroductionThe Vertically-Integrated Projects (VIP) Program is an engineering education program thatoperates in a research and development context.1 Undergraduate students that join VIP teamsearn academic credit for their participation in design efforts that assist faculty and graduatestudents with research and development issues in their areas of technical expertise. The teamsare: multidisciplinary – drawing students from across engineering and around campus; vertically-integrated – maintaining a mix of sophomores through PhD students each semester; and long-term – each undergraduate student may participate in a project for up to three years and eachgraduate student may participate for the