TY - GEN
T1 - Connecting theory to practice in an online introductory signals and systems course
AU - Wang, Chao
AU - Phillips, Stephen
N1 - Funding Information:
ACKNOWLEDGMENT This work was supported in part by the Kern Family Foundation (Grant Number: 2015-00539), as part of the ASU Kern Project.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 IEEE.
PY - 2018/7/2
Y1 - 2018/7/2
N2 - This research to practice full paper presents the experience and evaluation of engaging students in a theoretical online signals and systems course through a set of application-oriented MATLAB lab exercises. Learning signals and systems concepts often poses challenges to students due to the abstract nature of the concepts and students' lack of prior experience. Many interventions have been proposed in the literature to address this issue with the goal of improving the student learning experience. The challenge is how to select/adapt these activities for use in a compact, accelerated online introductory signals and systems course, in which students have a wide range of prior experience and limited interactions with faculty and peer. Specifically, this paper will discuss how five MATLAB lab exercises were introduced to connect theory to practice. The impact of this addition was evaluated through student survey and grade analysis. Survey results showed that most students, regardless of course performance, enjoyed the labs. They acknowledged that the labs helped them solidify theory through practice and also helped them connect and apply signals and systems concepts to real world applications.
AB - This research to practice full paper presents the experience and evaluation of engaging students in a theoretical online signals and systems course through a set of application-oriented MATLAB lab exercises. Learning signals and systems concepts often poses challenges to students due to the abstract nature of the concepts and students' lack of prior experience. Many interventions have been proposed in the literature to address this issue with the goal of improving the student learning experience. The challenge is how to select/adapt these activities for use in a compact, accelerated online introductory signals and systems course, in which students have a wide range of prior experience and limited interactions with faculty and peer. Specifically, this paper will discuss how five MATLAB lab exercises were introduced to connect theory to practice. The impact of this addition was evaluated through student survey and grade analysis. Survey results showed that most students, regardless of course performance, enjoyed the labs. They acknowledged that the labs helped them solidify theory through practice and also helped them connect and apply signals and systems concepts to real world applications.
KW - Distance
KW - Electrical Engineering
KW - Entrepreneurship Programs
KW - First and Second Year Programs
KW - Laboratory Experiences
KW - Open and Flexible Education
KW - Signals and Systems
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85063528613&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1109/FIE.2018.8658701
DO - 10.1109/FIE.2018.8658701
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85063528613
T3 - Proceedings - Frontiers in Education Conference, FIE
BT - Frontiers in Education
PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
T2 - 48th Frontiers in Education Conference, FIE 2018
Y2 - 3 October 2018 through 6 October 2018
ER -