Transmission line formulas for electrical engineers and engineering students.

As engineering skills becomes a commodity, electrical engineers’ programs are urged to adapt their pedagogical strategies do better prepared their graduates. The 21st century engineers are expected to have a strong technical background while being capable to work with people with different kinds of intellectual and social capitals, and to have a high level of cognitive flexibility. This article reports on the application of an information appropriation method, adopted by the Department of Electrical Engineering at PUC-Campinas, where activities on extension projects are simultaneously conducted along with the regularly schedule classes. The study case is related to the coplanning and cocreation of a technological white cane (proof of connect) between electrical engineering students, social technicians and the visually impaired. In the present case, the technicians were led to reinterpret, adapt and reinvent technology while contributing to the design and build of a low cost adaptive electronic sensing aid attachable to a white cane. The collaborative method, applied during conversation rounds, is based on a virtuous cyclic process which includes steps like information capture, validation, guidance and feedback. The engineering students, on the other hand, have the opportunity to develop their communication, analysis and interpretation skills in a way not available in the classroom. They also experience solving conflict situations and find creative uses and applications for they knowledge not otherwise foreseen. The participating students transformed information into knowledge through a dialogical experience with people having a contrasting technological background to its own. Through this experience the engineering graduates emerged with a greater sense of responsibility with the society and a better understanding of what means to be an engineer. Participation in the Extension Project also brought up several opportunities of professional recognition by the technicians and the visual impaired themselves, which stimulated the students do achieve better performance in the course.

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Design, Implementation, and Incorporation of a Control System Platform in an Undergraduate-Level Control Systems Course

Volume 5: Education and Globalization ◽

10.1115/imece2017-72072 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Pezhman A. Hassanpour

Keyword(s):

Control System ◽

Statistical Analysis ◽

Control Systems ◽

Learning Outcomes ◽

Mechanical Engineering ◽

Engineering Students ◽

Control Group ◽

Engineering System ◽

Level Control ◽

Electrical Engineers

This paper presents the design, implementation, and incorporation of an educational control system platform in an introductory course on control systems, with the goal of relating abstract concepts involved in this course to a real-world engineering system. This study builds upon the previously published attempt by the author involving design of a general control system platform for position-controlling of a shaft. In the present work, the need for incorporating a hardware-based hands-on project for teaching control systems is discussed first. Then, the contents of the undergraduate senior-level course MECH 412-Control Systems and the way the course is organized around a master example are explained. In addition, this paper elaborates on the challenges involved with introducing the concept of microprocessors to the mechanical engineering students taking MECH 412. The term project, which is founded on the master example in question, is discussed in details with emphasis on the objectives and learning outcomes, and evaluation. In the results section, the outcomes of the implementation of the proposed platform during the Fall 2016 semester are presented. These outcomes include the various types of controllers students selected to design, the observations they made for each type of controller, samples of submitted codes, and evaluation of the students’ learning outcomes. The evaluation includes the statistical analysis of pre- and post-test questionnaire completed by the students at the beginning and end of the semester, respectively. The reason why a control group could not be secured is explained in detail. The statistical analysis shows a significant improvement in the mechanical engineering students’ degree of the confidence in using tools that are traditionally perceived to be for electrical engineers.

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The development of, and response to, an academic writing module for electrical engineers at the University of Bath

Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education ◽

10.47408/jldhe.v0i0.180 ◽

2012 ◽

Author(s):

Miranda Armstrong ◽

Jackie Dannatt ◽

Adrian Evans

Keyword(s):

Language Proficiency ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Academic Writing ◽

English Language ◽

Engineering Students ◽

Principal Direction ◽

Academic Staff ◽

Electrical Engineering ◽

Electrical Engineers ◽

The University

The academic writing module for electrical engineering students, offered at the University of Bath, is the result of collaboration between the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering (EEE) and the English Language Centre (ELC) and is currently designed to deliver academic writing support to undergraduate students embarking on their engineering studies at Bath. The need for the course arose from subject tutor recognition of the studentsÃ¢â¬â¢ lack of awareness of the genre within which they were expected to write, suggesting that not only the subject content but also the expression of that content needed input and support. This paper presents details of the academic writing input provided by the University of Bath English Language Centre, the background to the module and ongoing development based on feedback from students, academic staff and EAP (English for Academic Purposes) tutors. Feedback indicates that the course succeeds in supporting students in their writing. The principal direction for future development lies in tailoring the course to fit the modular nature of studentsÃ¢â¬â¢ degrees, addressing issues connected to language proficiency and the nature of assessment.

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