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Feasibility Of Totally Distance Oriented Eet/Cet Programs

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Conference

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Chicago, Illinois

Publication Date

June 18, 2006

Start Date

June 18, 2006

End Date

June 21, 2006

ISSN

2153-5965

Conference Session

Virtual and Distance Experiments

Tagged Division

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

Page Count

14

Page Numbers

11.638.1 - 11.638.14

DOI

10.18260/1-2--483

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/483

Download Count

391

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Paper Authors

biography

Peter Schuyler University of Hartford

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Dr.Schuyler is an Assistant Professor in the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department, University of Hartford.He as a BS in Bioengineering & an MS and CAS in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University, and an Ed.D from the University of Massacusetts. He has served as the Department chair, and Assistant Dean while at the University of Hartford.

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biography

Tom Eppes University of Hartford

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TOM EPPES is an Assistant Professor in the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department, University of Hartford. He holds BSEE and MSEE degrees from Texas A&M University and a PhD in EE from the University of Michigan.

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Abstract
NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract

Feasibility of Totally Distance-Oriented EET/CET Technology Programs

Abstract

This paper addresses the problem of delivering an effective “hands-on” learning experience in a purely distance education program within electronic engineering technology (EET) and computer engineering technology (CET). Experiential learning has long been considered to be a necessary pedagogical component in engineering technology. It is generally accepted that a graduate needs “hands-on” experience to be successful as an entry-level technologist in industry.

An examination of undergraduate programs offered in a distance education format reveals that engineering technology programs are conspicuous by their absence. We believe this is because there are no established means to deliver the “hands-on” experiential or laboratory component remotely. While much progress has been made in distance laboratories (virtual and remote-controlled), they do not, as yet, represent an acceptable replacement.

When faced with the need or opportunity for a distance engineering technology program, institutions have addressed this by creating hybrid courses. Delivery of the lecture content is typically done in a format similar to what other disciplines do, i.e. internet- based video (synchronous or asynchronous), downloadable documents, discussion forums, email exchanges, all structured within a course delivery system.

The experiential component is delivered by requiring students to attend laboratory sessions in some facility near their location, or to visit the hosting institution at periodic intervals. Instructors are sometimes dispatched to remote locations when required to oversee these activities. These sessions are usually conducted a few times each semester to minimize travel. Multiple experiments are performed during each session which often requires that the sessions last a full day.

Introduction

Is it possible to create a totally distance program with a “hands-on” laboratory component and if so, how can this be accomplished? To address this, the authors focused on EET and CET programs. The electronics discipline is an attractive choice because relatively low cost components, devices, tools and measurement instrumentation are available. The authors investigated the available technology and hardware capable of providing a

Schuyler, P., & Eppes, T. (2006, June), Feasibility Of Totally Distance Oriented Eet/Cet Programs Paper presented at 2006 Annual Conference & Exposition, Chicago, Illinois. 10.18260/1-2--483

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