[EAS]EE Teaching with IT

[pjk]

Subject:   EE Teaching with IT

Dear Colleagues -

This site is another excellent example of the kind of enhancement
that can be given to teaching, in this case undergraduate EE, by
joining information technology with classical aspects of engineering
pedagogy. And here it is even a commercial site, where intellectual
enlightenment might be expected to be curbed by economic
self-interest. (The engineering programs at other universities are
developing much online material of their own, also a subject of past
EAS-INFO mailings.)

Take a thoughtful look at the material at this site. What are its
implications? If we want to develop/refine further such material for
our curriculum, what terms of partnership are implied between
information technology and faculty?

   --PJK

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(from The NSDL Scout Reports for Math, Engineering, & Technology,
 July 5, 2002
 http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/nsdl-reports/met/2002/met-020705.html
 The whole issue is very worth your while, particularly its
 Education section, from which this is drawn.)


Agilent Technologies: Educator's Corner: T&M Fundamentals Corner [.sit]
http://www.educatorscorner.com/tools/fundamentals_corner/index.shtml

Maintained by Agilent Technologies, this large site covers many
aspects of electronics testing and measurement. The major categories
of instructional material are Basic Electronics, Radio Frequencies/
Communications, Lightwave/ Optics, and Digital Design/ Logic; each
of these has several interactive lessons, slides, or Java applets
that address specific topics. The exercises teach the underlying
theory of the concepts while stressing the importance of good
practices and proper equipment use. The site's content is very well
organized and is best suited for undergraduates in electrical
engineering or a related discipline.


of related interest

TelecomWriting.com: Journey to the Bottom of Your Rig
http://www.privateline.com/radio/index.html

Most of the content of Journey to the Bottom of Your Rig was
originally published in a book about Citizen's Band (C.B.) radio.
Now with added comments by the operator of the Web site, it offers
an insightful look into the fundamentals of radio and equipment. The
reading is light and slightly humorous, and it is suitable for
anyone who wants to know how a radio works. A radio's transmitter
and receiver are examined, and the operation of the main components
of each are described. More detailed discussions of the oscillator
and the principle of modulation are given by the site's creator.


and finally, in a different area (aerodynamics), this nice counter
to the now pervasive $100+ prices for course textbooks. (Numerous
other online textbooks have been mentioned in past EAS-INFO
mailings)

Aerodynamics for Students [.xls, .m, .f, .zip]
http://www.aeromech.usyd.edu.au/aero/contents.html

This Web site serves as an online aerodynamics textbook for college
students. Offered by the department of Aerospace, Mechanical, and
Mechatronic Engineering at the University of Sydney, the material is
divided into several main categories. These include fluid mechanics,
aerodynamics, gasdynamics, aircraft performance, and propulsion.
Each of these sections has many specific topics that are discussed
in detail. There are MATLAB, Excel, and FORTRAN files and data
sheets that accompany the reading, but they are best used as
reference and are not needed to understand most of the material.