Undergraduate Electrical Engineering Curriculum Research Articles

Potential Drops in Metal-Dielectric-Semiconductor Capacitors

During the past few years many of the recent developments in the semiconductor devices field have found their way to the classroom through the collaboration of a handful of well-written books and tutorial papers. However, the electrical engineering student at junior and senior level is usually confused when exposed to subjects where voltage drops in semiconductor structures are involved. Two years ago, the author and collaborators wrote a note concerning potentials in semiconductor structures with added carriers. The approach and language used in that tutorial presentation aroused interest among colleagues in the teaching profession. The same approach and language are used in this paper to discuss potential drops in Metal-Dielectric-Semiconductor capacitors. These devices have excited considerable interest recently and may well be incorporated as subject material in an undergraduate curriculum in electrical engineering.

Engineering Education in Canada and the Cooperative Electrical Engineering Program at the University of Waterloo

Although cooperative engineering is practiced at several universities in the United States, that at the University of Waterloo is unique in Canada. The baccalaureate program requires five years of continual attendance, during which the student spends alternate three-month periods in school and in industry. A distinctive feature of the plan is the maintenance of a Coordination Department within the University organization. Staffed by senior professional engineers, this department acts as liaison between industry and the students. Two programs of study are offered in the undergraduate electrical engineering curriculum. One of these is designed for the heavy electromechanical and power systems engineer. The other embraces electronics, communication and computery disciplines, with a greater concentration of theoretical studies. Although the University is still in its infancy, both industrial and student acceptance of the cooperative plan has exceeded initial expectations. There is every indication that co-operative engineering education will rapidly assume a dominant role in the Canadian academic scene.

A Realistic Program in Energy Processing

A general revision of the undergraduate curriculum in electrical engineering at Case Institute of Technology served as the stimulus and foundation for an updating of the course content in the area previously occupied by rotating machinery. The series of three courses which resulted has now been tested in the classroom for appropriateness, unity, depth of coverage possible, and palatability to the student. This paper reports the content and achievements of this initial trial. Results of the past year indicate that the material presented is pedagogically sound and that the program is realistic for the undergraduate student.

Teaching Aids for Laboratory Courses in Electrical Circuits and Electronics

As more and more material becomes relevant for laboratory work in the undergraduate curriculum in electrical engineering, it becomes increasingly important to find more efficient systems for setting up the equipment for laboratory experiments. Any such system should result in a neat, easily followed arrangement when assembled, should be flexible with respect to the experiments which can be performed, and should not result in stereotyped experiments. This paper describes a system which has been evolved utilizing chassis upon which are mounted an array of banana jacks on three-quarter inch centers. Many different circuits can be assembled easily and quickly by plugging in components which are mounted on double banana plugs. Different chassis are arranged for different circuits such as a dual triode, single pentode, and push-pull power amplifier.