Using J-DSP to introduce communications and multimedia technologies to high schools

This paper describes interactive Java software and modular web content developed at Arizona State University aimed at introducing elements of digital signal processing (DSP), multimedia, and communications technologies to high school (HS) students. The effort is motivated by several needs and trends that include: initiatives for graduating technology-aware HS students, the need to attract HS students from diverse backgrounds to engineering programs, emphasis on mathematics through applications that appeal to high school students, etc. The software used to support this effort is based on an NSF-funded object-oriented simulation environment called Java-DSP (J-DSP). J-DSP was developed from the ground up at ASU and enables simulations and DSP demonstrations over the internet. In addition, exercises and demonstrations can be embedded seamlessly in HTML educational modules. The web modules developed at ASU consist of HS-friendly lessons that contain J-DSP based examples connecting elements of music, telephony, and Hi-Fi entertainment to math and DSP. Efforts are underway to disseminate these materials to Phoenix high schools and assess their impact.