Undergraduate Electronic Engineering Research Articles

Low-Cost Virtual Laboratory Workbench for Electronic Engineering

The laboratory component of undergraduate engineering education poses challenges in resource constrained engineering faculties. The cost, time, space and physical presence requirements of the traditional (real) laboratory approach are the contributory factors. These resource constraints may mitigate the acquisition of meaningful laboratory experiences by students, which is especially true in developing countries. Virtual laboratories can be used to complement the traditional laboratory to enhance students’ laboratory experience. In extreme cases of lack of resources, the virtual lab can be used as an alternative laboratory . Although some research on the implementation of virtual laboratories has occurred, more efforts are required because of the diverse experiential needs and requirements of the engineering curriculum. This paper presents a low-cost, web-based virtual laboratory workbench for use as part of undergraduate electronic engineering courses. Some distinguishing features of the virtual workbench are that students can undertake curriculum-based laboratory activities in a realistic manner; it integrates a Bayesian Network-based assessment structure for the assessment of students’ performance; and it affords the instructor flexibility in designing laboratory exercises.

Case Study of the Introduction of Problem-Based Learning in Electronic Engineering

This paper reports on the implementation of problem-based learning (PBL) in an undergraduate electronic engineering degree programme. Initially, there is a review of literature to explore the claims made about the benefits of PBL and how these informed the development of our PBL course. This is followed by a description of the course and an explanation of our case study approach. We detail and discuss our findings in relation to theory and the development process, and conclude that from our experience PBL performs well as an adjunct to traditional teaching when considered in the context of the teaching of electronic engineering.

New project system for undergraduate electronic engineering

A new approach to projects for undergraduate electronic engineering in an Australian university has been applied successfully for over 10 years. This approach has a number of projects running over three year period. Feedback from past graduates and their managers has confirmed that these projects train the students well, giving them the ability and confidence to work independently and collectively in the industrial world. Due to their importance to universities, staff and students alike, together with the potential heavy financial burden on the universities, careful planning has to be undertaken before implementing such projects. This paper presents some detailed suggestions on how such projects should be administered and operated as well as setting out possible criteria to assist supervisors in evaluating the final product from such projects.

Prospects of support for CAD and microelectronic fabrication for undergraduate courses

The increasing use of applications-specific ICs by the electronics industry will increase the demand for graduates with practical knowledge of microelectronics design and CAD techniques. This paper examines the CAD requirements of undergraduate electronic engineering courses and the steps that have been taken to procure centralised funding for the necessary resources.

Experiences in using a computer-aided control system design suite in an undergraduate Electronic Engineering degree course

The Hull computer-aided control system design suite has been used within the undergraduate Electronic Engineering degree course for over five years. The paper describes the facilities within the suite and the limitations imposed on its use by current hardware constraints. The suite is used in each of the final three years of the four-year course, starting with restricted laboratory access for the analysis of linear single-input single-output systems and progressing to free access to the nonlinear and multivariable design facilities. The integration of the use of the design suite with the rest of the coursework is discussed and evaluated. Further developments are outlined.

An experience in teaching CAD to undergraduate electronic engineering degree students

Computer-aided design and analysis of electronic circuits has been taught to students on an electronic engineering degree course for the past five years. It has been found desirable to introduce CAD after the basic groundwork has been covered. CAD techniques are therefore introduced in the second/third year and developed in the final year of the course. Experience has shown that students obtain a better understanding when these techniques are integrated with the design-orientated electronic subjects in both laboratory and lecture periods.