Electrical Engineering Curriculum Research Articles

Implementation of Electrical Engineering Curriculum in the Era of Industry 4.0 in Indonesia: Stakeholder Participants Qualitative Interviews

The rapid development of science and technology has led to fundamental changes in terms of qualifications, competencies, and requirements to enter the industrial world. This has led to the adjustment of the effectiveness of collaboration between industry and higher engineering education, thus necessitating further consideration of engineering higher education curricula that are oriented towards the industrial revolution. The aim of this study is to examine how the electrical engineering curriculum can be adjusted and improved to be more relevant to the technological advancements and industrial demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution era in Indonesia. This qualitative descriptive study utilizes the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) method and semi-structured online interviews. Stakeholder participants including the heads of Electrical Engineering programs in the top twenty universities in Indonesia have been involved in this study. We explore perspectives on the implementation of the electrical engineering curriculum, its rationale, objectives, methods, and challenges in its execution. Herewith, curriculum revisions are deemed necessary while still adhering to the fundamental principles based on accreditation institution guidelines. The findings highlight that incorporating the latest technologies with a focus on practical skills relevant to the development of Industry 4.0 is essential. The latest technology supporting practical skills for electrical engineering students needs to be improved. Active involvement from all parties in the curriculum implementation is the key to producing competent graduates prepared to face global challenges in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Assessing the Relevance of Technical Education Curricula to Current Industrial Skill Demands in Tanzania: A Case Study of Civil, Electrical, and Biomedical Engineering Curriculum

This qualitative study assessed the alignment of technical education curricula with current industrial skill demands in Tanzania. Data were collected through documentary review and interviews with 34 purposively selected technical graduates. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the data. The findings revealed persistent reliance on outdated content delivered predominantly through lecturing methods within certain parts of the curriculum. The study also identified obsolete teaching and learning facilities, such as equipment and machines. Furthermore, it highlighted discrepancies between the stated learning outcomes of the curriculum and NACTVET’s CBET standards. These findings suggest a misalignment between the curriculum and industry requirements, potentially impacting graduates’ preparedness for the workforce. Consequently, the study recommends a comprehensive curriculum review informed by a rigorous labour market analysis. To facilitate this process, NACTVET could offer training programmes for technical education institutions on developing curricula aligned with CBET standards.

A multimodal pedagogical approach to teaching electromagnetics

AbstractElectromagnetics is a core course in the undergraduate electrical engineering curriculum that entails the study of electric and magnetic fields. Students, usually, perceive it as a challenging course since it requires them to build mental models of the spatial and time‐varying electric and magnetic fields that cannot be seen by the naked eye. Moreover, the mathematics used in this subject is quite complex and abstract and can further compound the students' difficulties in connecting abstract math with real‐life industry applications. To address these challenges, the author designed an undergraduate electromagentics course, which utilized certain pedagogical techniques to enhance the learning experience of the students. These pedagogies include extensive usage of MATLAB simulations, animations, and videos during the course that helps students visualize and conceptualize abstract concepts, usage of a comprehensive course‐wide equation sheet, and highlighting the connection of the theory with real‐life applications and industry jobs. This paper presents some of the simulations designed by the author as part of this course. Moreover, the equation sheet is also reproduced and access to its source is provided for the benefit of other instructors and students. The paper also presents results from the end‐of‐semester students' survey to measure the efficacy of these pedagogical techniques.

Relationships of Abstraction and Application Complexity in the Attainment between Mathematics and Electrical Engineering Modules in Diploma Courses of South Africa

In South Africa, universities are under pressure to meet increasing targets for student enrolment in engineering disciplines and fields. This has resulted in many students being enrolled in engineering programs without possessing the minimum required mathematical skills and understanding to tackle the challenging engineering disciplines. Hence, the engineering disciplines have a high student attrition and failure rate. This study aimed to evaluate the complex relationship of abstraction and application between mathematics attainment and principles of electrical engineering attainment by the students enrolled in diploma courses in technical universities of South Africa. A blend of quantitative and qualitative data was used. Legitimation code theory (LCT) was used to determine the complexity of higher learning levels. The relationships between six core courses in the Electrical Engineering curriculum were investigated to analyze the knowledge building from mathematics modules to principles of electrical engineering modules. The problem-solving, analytics, and abstract mathematical skills developed in these modules impact the overall progression into principles of electrical engineering courses at different levels for diverse students. The research examines the theoretical foundation, student performance, and practical application of mathematical ideas in electrical engineering using curriculum documents, student academic records, and interviews with electrical engineering lecturers. The study found a weak correlation between the two modules and examined how resources, cultural attitudes, and pedagogy affect student achievement. The results indicate an unexpected negative and fragile correlation between the lower mathematics and engineering modules at high levels. The LCT analysis showed the disconnect between the mathematics courses and the principles of electrical engineering in both the level of abstraction used in the studies and the extent of application principles taught.

Active and Project-Based Learning Implementation in a Constructively Aligned Digital Systems Design Course

<italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Contribution:</i> This article describes efforts to improve the teaching and learning process for the digital system design course using active learning (AL) approaches in the classroom and a parallel hands-on project designed based on constructive alignment (CA). <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Background:</i> The digital systems design course is an important part of Undergraduate Electrical Engineering curriculum. Some students find the course difficult because the learning outcomes require them to create digital circuitry that executes algorithms. <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Intended Outcome:</i> The course designed based on CA can support and enhance students’ learning of the subject matter. <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Application Design:</i> Systematic AL aided by Padlet and E-learning were used to make students’ learning of concepts visible during class time, allowing timely feedback. The hands-on aspects of the course were implemented using project-based learning that was guided in parallel with the in-class content. The use of software and hardware in the project was emphasized and monitored through a continuous series of milestones. <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Findings:</i> Analysis of students’ results and reflections on the learning experience in this course shows that the course has effectively developed the students’ understanding of digital system concepts. Comparing the performance of the AL class cohort to the traditional lectures approach on the course learning outcomes attainment based on written examination and assignments, the cohort that used AL outperformed the traditional teaching cohort.

MULTIMEDIA TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PROCESSOF TEACHING ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING AND FEATURESOF THEIR APPLICATION

This article explores the utilization of multimedia technologies in the field of teaching electrical engineering, highlighting their significant impact on the learning process. Through an examination of various multimedia tools and their application in the classroom, this article presents the benefits of interactive learning and the potential of multimedia technologies in enhancing student engagement, understanding, and retention. The article concludes with suggestions for incorporating multimedia technologies into electrical engineering curricula, paving the way for a more effective and dynamic educational experience.

TESLA’S INVENTIONS IN PHYSICS AND HIS ENGINEERING SPIRIT

The article describes Tesla’s inventions in physics. Tesla’s engineering spirit is compared to M. Faraday’s and A. A. Michelson’s spirit of discovery in electromagnetism. Tesla’s unfinished investigative journey, from great experiments in electrical technology and radio technology to the physical theories he derived from them, are examined historically and scientifically. Several discoveries and individual experiments are described that were signifcant in the subsequent development of accelerator technology, as well as Tesla’s monopole antenna for high power and long-range electromagnetic waves, in which the principle of Tesla’s transformer is applied. Within the framework of classical electromagnetic theory, calculations and modern analysis of the system for the study of Tesla’s model of the long-distance wireless transmission of electromagnetic energy or information are presented, demonstrating the scientific basis for Tesla’s ideas. The coverage of Tesla’s inventions and contributions in the physics and electrical engineering curricula at the University of Zagreb is reviewed, especially in textbooks and other works by Ivan Supek, Vatroslav Lopašić and Tomo Bosanac. An interpretation is offered of Tesla’s interest in Goethe’s poetry, which provided an impetus for his inventions and desire for knowledge.

Introducing Innovative Prototypes in Course Materials and Fabrication Technologies in Medical Devices for Electrical and Biomedical Engineering Students

Contribution: This article presents the innovative prototypes used in materials and fabrication technologies in medical devices (MFTIMD) laboratory course, under the curriculum of Biomedical (BME) and Electrical Engineering (EE) undergraduate studies. A special part of the course is devoted to state-of-the-art topics, such as flexible and wearable electronic devices and microfluidic devices. The article contains a brief overview of the laboratory course content as well as an assessment analysis with a satisfactory review and an academic outcomes review. Background: The course should address the properties and the applications of new types of materials used in medical electronics as well as corresponding fabrication technologies and devices. The course content and literature provide a multidisciplinary approach to contemporary engineering problems, specifically in a fast-developing field of biomedical electronics. Intended Outcomes: After successfully completing the MFTIMD course, undergraduate Biomedical (BME) and EE students are trained to independently fabricate and characterized various materials and components for medical devices. They are also capable of creating original ideas and realizing them according to gained knowledge. Application Design: The assessment and evaluation study consist of satisfactory test with positive statements and gradual multiple-choice options for student to rate the statements as well as teachers and the literature. An additional survey of acquired knowledge was conducted before the June exam period and a short prior/post-test focused on main course topics. Findings: The satisfactory survey results indicated a very positive students’ attitude toward the course material and the teaching methods. The pass rate was above 85% in first (June) exam period with an average mark of 8.63 (on a scale from 5 to 10). The prior/post test revealed a significant improvement in the overall knowledge of the course subject, while the preparation test before the exam period resulted in 84% of correct test answers.

Discussion on the Reconstruction of Electrical Engineering Undergraduate Teaching Scheme Facing the New Generation Power System

With the construction of a new generation of electric power systems with new energy as the main body, there are major changes in the traditional electrical engineering undergraduate teaching system. On the one hand, the dynamic operating characteristics of the power system dominated by new energy sources and dominated by power electronic equipment will be significantly different from the traditional power system dominated by synchronous generators. Therefore, there is an urgent need to reform the curriculum system to train electrical engineering professionals who can adapt to the future development trend of the power system. On the other hand, with the rapid advancement of advanced information technology in recent years, the application of cutting-edge technologies such as cloud computing, big data, and artificial intelligence in the field of electrical engineering has become more and more in-depth. Therefore, there is an urgent need to cultivate advanced technical experts who possess more advanced information theory and cybernetics knowledge and master the application of cutting-edge information technology in the field of electrical engineering. From the perspective of student training and professional construction needs, this paper systematically analyzes the lag of the traditional electrical engineering curriculum system, and analyzes the knowledge needs of electrical engineering students adapting to the development of the new generation of power systems. From the perspective of teaching schemes, curriculum systems, and evaluation systems, a plan for restructuring the teaching system was proposed. The work in this article can provide a reference for the training of college students majoring in electrical engineering, and it can also provide a more feasible improvement idea for the training of college students in other majors.

What’s in the Box: Design of an Open Didactic Robot Environment

We present a realization of a didactic robot environment for robot PUMA 560 for educational and research purposes. Robot PUMA 560 is probably the mathematically best-described robot, and therefore it is frequently used for research and educational purposes. A developed control environment consists of a robot controller and teach pendant. The advantage of using a personally developed solution is its open structure, which allows various tests and measurements to be performed, and that is highly convenient for educational and research purposes. The motivation behind the design of this personal didactic robot control environment arose from a survey for students after the first Summer School on Mechatronic Systems. The student questionnaire revealed severe discrepancies between theory and practice in education. Even though the primary purpose of the new control environment for robot PUMA 560 was research, it was established that it is a viable lab resource that allows for the connection between theoretical and industrial robotics. It was used for the duration of four Summer Schools and university courses. Since then, it has been fully integrated into International Burch University’s Electrical and Electronics Engineering curriculum through several courses on the bachelor and master levels for multidisciplinary problem-based learning (PBL) projects.

Anywhere-Anytime Signals and Systems Laboratory: From MATLAB to Smartphones, Third Edition

A typical undergraduate electrical engineering curriculum incorporates a signals and systems course. The widely used approach for the laboratory component of such courses involves the utilization of MATLAB to implement signals and systems concepts. This book presents a newly developed laboratory paradigm where MATLAB codes are made to run on smartphones which are possessed by nearly all students. As a result, this laboratory paradigm provides an anywhere-anytime hardware platform or processing board for students to learn implementation aspects of signals and systems concepts. The book covers the laboratory experiments that are normally covered in signals and systems courses and discusses how to run MATLAB codes for these experiments as apps on both Android and iOS smartphones, thus enabling a truly mobile laboratory paradigm. A zipped file of the codes discussed in the book can be acquired via the website http://sites.fastspring.com/bookcodes/product/SignalsSystemsBookcodesThirdEdition

What We Assess Is What We Produce: Moving Towards the Development of Skills in South African FET Colleges

ABSTRACT The focus of this study was to investigate the coherence between the needs of industry and the curriculum offered at Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges. The context of this study was TVET colleges, which is a relatively recent sector in the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), in South Africa. There is an unacceptably high rate of unemployment in South Africa and in particular, there is a shortage of technical skills, which the TVET sector is expected to address. Concerns have been expressed about the effectiveness of these colleges in producing graduates with employability skills. This study investigated whether the assessment strategies employed in the Electrical Engineering curriculum are appropriate in preparing the students for practice. A qualitative research design was used where a sample consisting of seven Further Education and Training (FET) College graduates and three instructors (lecturers) were selected using a snowball sampling technique. Findings of this research are that the current assessment strategy used in FET colleges (written testing) does not lead to the development of employability skills in FET graduates. The proposed TVET programs are those that promote a dual assessment throughout the course that yields the technical knowledge and employability outcomes that will meet the needs of industries.

An intuitive, application-based, simulation-driven approach to teaching probability and random processes

Probability and random processes is considered by students to be conceptually one of the most difficult subjects in the undergraduate electrical and computer engineering curriculum. There are numerous reasons for this difficulty encountered by the students. First off, humans are not innately good at probabilistic intuition. Traditionally, this subject has been introduced in a very abstract manner without emphasis on real-world applications from electrical and computer engineering discipline. In addition, extensive use of interactive simulation and visualization tools, offering an alternative way of developing probabilistic intuition, is usually missing from traditional course offerings. This paper presents a unique pedagogical approach to teaching an introductory probability course offered to electrical and computer engineering juniors. The salient features of the proposed pedagogical approach include more emphasis on real-world electrical and computer engineering problems that show the applications of abstract probabilistic concepts; extensive hands-on and interactive MATLAB® simulations of real-world electrical and computer engineering problems that are tightly integrated into the curriculum; highlighting the frequentist approach to build probabilistic intuition using simulations; concrete examples showing how naive probabilistic intuition can be erroneous and how to develop correct probabilistic intuition based on systematically modeling, simulating, and analyzing a problem; and application-based simulations driving the abstract theory rather than the other way around. This pedagogical approach was implemented in a course offered to electrical and computer engineering undergraduates at Purdue University Northwest. The paper presents a concrete example illustrating how the salient features of the proposed pedagogical approach were implemented as part of this course and student data from the courses to validate the efficacy of the proposed approach.

FPGA implementation of error control codes in VHDL: An undergraduate research project

AbstractError control codes (ECC) play an important role in the detection and correction of data errors over unreliable or noisy communication channels. The main idea of ECC is to add redundant bits to the message on the transmitter, which can be used to detect and correct certain errors on the receiver. ECC are used in numerous applications such as telecommunications, Internet, and data storage. Different types of ECC exist such as linear block, convolutional, and turbo codes. This paper presents results from an innovative undergraduate research project involving implementation of linear block, cyclic and convolutional codes in very high speed integrated circuit hardware description language (VHDL) using a field‐programmable gate array (FPGA). FPGA is a suitable platform for implementing ECC due to the advantages of performance, time to market, cost, reliability, and long‐term maintenance. As part of this project, (7,4) Hamming code used for linear block and cyclic codes and convolutional codes with constraint length k of 3 and code rate (k/n) of 1/2 were implemented in VHDL on a Xilinx Spartan‐6 FPGA using ISE 14.7. Two undergraduate students at Purdue University Northwest worked on this project. This was the students’ first exposure to ECC, VHDL, and FPGA, as undergraduate students are usually not introduced to these topics in traditional electrical and computer engineering curriculum. The goal of this project was to provide students with hands‐on experience using industry‐standard VHDL software and FPGA hardware platforms to implement ECC. This paper presents the results of this innovative project including register‐transfer level schematics, simulations, and VHDL code for encoders and decoders for the various ECC implemented, and students’ reflections on the project.

SART3D: A MATLAB toolbox for spatial audio and signal processing education

AbstractSignal processing courses form usually a common block within the curriculum of electrical engineering and computer science undergraduate studies. While signal processing is the science behind many technologies used in our everyday life, students usually feel that the practical use of signal processing subjects is obscured due to their intensive theoretical perspective. In this context, audio signal processing is a discipline where many general signal processing concepts can be easily experienced with sound. Specifically, spatial audio, i.e., the manipulation of audio signals with the aim of capturing and/or recreating the spatial impression of sound, provides an excellent and appealing application framework for signal processing education. This paper presents SART3D, an open‐source MATLAB toolbox that facilitates spatial audio and signal processing education by enabling students to focus on the implementation and testing of core algorithms and to experience their own results using real‐time processing. The time required for other nonrelevant aspects, such as hardware and driver set‐up or user interaction, is significantly reduced. Experience evaluated throughout four academic years and 45 students (25% female) indicate they felt particularly engaged when SART3D was included in the course, improving their performance and understanding of the subject. In this context, the four factors defined by the Student Course Engagement Questionnaire (skills, emotional, participation, and performance) were analyzed to assess engagement in its multiple dimensions.

Demand side management in smart grid: A laboratory-based educational perspective

Demand side management is an important operational aspect of smart grid focusing on cost and efficiency optimisation by load management and control. With growing power demand and shortage of energy resources, it is necessary to educate people on the benefits of demand side management. In the present Electrical Engineering curriculum, demand side management is also being taught as a core topic in power system courses. Hands-on laboratory sessional in demand side management will definitely assist the students in their understanding of the working principles and implementation challenges of demand side management. In this paper, a small-scale laboratory prototype demand side management system has been implemented and is being used in power system laboratory work for Electrical Engineering students at IIT Bhubaneswar (India). In this demand side management prototype system, a Central Energy Management Unit, interfaced with all load/energy control units at each customer end, is used for centralised load scheduling control. A data-entry circuit is used at each customer end for prior transmission of load scheduling request. For wireless data communication among various units, a Global System for Mobile communication is adopted. The laboratory setup consists of few loads, ARDUINO microcontrollers, relay modules, current sensors, MATLAB interface (at Central Energy Management Unit end) and Global System for Mobile communication modules. The learning performance/efficiency of the students has been evaluated by the students’ responses to a questionnaire before and after the experiment being conducted by them and it has been found to be noteworthy highlighting the educative efficacy of the well-designed experiment on demand side management.

Hardware Microprogramming Education Using Raspberry PI and Arduino Technologies

Hardware control is becoming a dominating topic in the field of engineering. Hands-on experience is one of the most crucial skills a fresh graduated engineer needs in order to find a job in industry or in academia. Raspberry PI is a new, user-friendly, open source, technology that allows developers to design and implement complex embedded systems using a small size and advanced single chip. This paper discusses the integration or Raspberry PI technology in the education of electrical and computer engineering curriculum, and its effect on the career of a freshly graduated electrical and computer engineer.

An experimental lab to enhance undergraduate electromagnetics education

Electromagnetic field theory is a required part of the undergraduate electrical engineering curriculum. This material is taught in either one or two semester courses, encompassing concepts related to static and time-varying fields. These classes often focus on Maxwell’s equations and application of mathematical tools required for problem solving. Simulation and visualization tools are often used to enhance student understanding of field distributions and wave propagation. However, hands-on experiences have the potential to deepen understanding and emphasize connections between theory and real-world applications. As RF and microwave equipment is expensive, it is difficult to sustainably outfit laboratories for large undergraduate classes. In this paper, we describe a low-cost, hands-on experimental lab that involves students designing and implementing an antenna. This lab is designed to reinforce concepts related to wave propagation. This work adds to the few papers in the literature reporting incorporation of innovative and low-cost experiments into the undergraduate electromagnetics curriculum.

Employability Skills Based on Polytechnic Graduate Job Role: Immediate Supervisor Perception

Twenty first century employers need quality graduates to be competitive in global currents. This study was conducted to identify the importance of employability skills constructs required to improve the work performance based on the perception of the immediate supervisor&amp;rsquo;s in the polytechnic electronic graduates&amp;rsquo; job role. This study uses a descriptive survey study involving a quantitative approach. Data collection was done by obtaining and analyzing quantitative data through self-developed questionnaire consisting of 31 items based on seven constructs of employability skills such as communication skills; personal qualities; teamwork skills; critical thinking skills and problem solving; technology skills; organizational skills and continuous learning skills. The sample consists of 170 immediate supervisors who represent the employers in four units of electrical and electronics industries namely research and development unit, maintenance unit, production unit and; quality and assurance unit. The findings of the quantitative study were analyzed using the Winstep V3.69.1.11 software. The findings of the analysis of the importance level of employability skills construct needed to improve work performance in all units are high with different priority rankings based on the role of graduates in the unit. In addition, the findings also show that critical thinking skills and problem solving are the most important employability skill constructs as well as the personal qualities and the latter are technology skills that must be owned and possesses by graduates who choose career paths in the electrical and electronic industries. Therefore, with the clarity of the concept of employability skills based on the job role as a result of this study it will facilitate graduates to adapt to the current wave of industrial change towards the concept of industry 4.0 with the application of precise employability skills oriented in the polytechnic electrical engineering curriculum.

Non-traditional processes in higher education in engineering: a conceptual mapping

Study of the adoption of non-traditional tools as support for Higher Education curricula in Electrical Engineering and Computers. We highlight the use of blended-learning, interactive and remote virtual laboratories, computer simulation, and methodologies, such as Active Learning and Problem Based Learning and their applications in the curricular units of the course. The study is a literature review with the systematization and presentation of the findings through a conceptual map. We concluded that the initiatives that have resorted to new technologies in engineering degrees, as well as reports of similar experiments on this topic, are reduced, not formalized in curricula, and ad hoc.