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Using Power Point in Distance Learning Laboratories

Richard C. Cliver Department of Electrical Engineering Technology Rochester Institute of Technology Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to discuss using power point presentations to enhance circuits laboratories for a distance learning course. Students in this course meet with the instructor for one day instead of two hours for eight weeks during the quarter. Laboratory experiments with directions portrayed with diagrams, photographs, and words were given to the students to do at home before they came to campus with power point presentations. This allowed the students to be more familiar with the material before they traveled to the campus for their full day sessions and alleviated the frustrations they had with earlier experiments performed at home.

Background: Distance Learning instruction in engineering education dates back to the late 1960’s when Universities began offering graduate courses through this medium. 1 Distance Learning offered an easy and affordable way to instruct small classes, the maturity of the Graduate student enabled them to overcome the technical difficulties. 2 Distance Learning in undergraduate education is a relativity new development. Rochester Institute of Technology has been participating in distance learning teaching since 1989. RIT has used different formats in their distance-learning classes, which include flexible format, remote classroom, combination and video conferencing. 3 In the two years that I have been teaching at RIT, the most popular format has been the flexible format. The distance-learning course to be discussed is Electronic Principles for Design. Students in this class have the course materials delivered to their homes. Lab materials are included with the course material and include a multimeter, resistors, potentiometers, capacitors, power supply and hookup wire. Students in the electronic course I have taught are only required to attend one 8-hour lab session per quarter, where they use lab equipment not available in their kits. They demonstrate proficiency in use of an oscilloscope and function generator through several practical experiments.

When I started teaching the electronics course, the lab experiments that were being used were in the old format designed for weekly on campus lab experiments. These labs were well suited for the older format in distance learning where students would come to RIT or find a local community college to attend weekly or 3 -4 times per quarter to complete their lab requirements. In spite of the movement toward the newer flexible format students in this class were merely instructed to do what they could at home and finish the labs during the single all day session on campus. The use of Power Point as shown in this paper allowed me to create new laboratory experiments students could perform at home. These labs contained tutorials that allowed students to acquire important lab skills and complete the labs at home. Parts of the lab tutorials that helped students build their laboratory skills are presented in this paper. The laboratory assignments provided building blocks that will be used in future labs.

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Cliver, R. (2002, June), Using Power Point In Distance Learning Laboratories Paper presented at 2002 Annual Conference, Montreal, Canada. 10.18260/1-2--11099