Don't Just Tell Me, Show Me! Presenting A Microelectronics Course Completely On The Internet

Challenges to effectively delivering distance education (DE) courses, particularly web-based individual access (IA) DE, such as lack of instructor access, isolation, and removal of peer interaction are well recognized as common throughout all disciplines. Considerations such as increased self-discipline and the additional planning and effort required in communicating questions, problems or concerns must be recognized and addressed to allow the IADE student to successfully complete course requirements. In spite of these obstacles, distance education is a valuable tool that allows students, who would not otherwise be able to avail themselves of the opportunity, to attend classes and receive an accredited degree. Additional difficulties arise for technically oriented courses, particularly in the engineering disciplines. Engineering courses are often computationally intensive and require the ability to generate graphic representations at various levels of problem abstraction. These courses, which are considered difficult for traditional, on-campus instruction, must now be presented effectively to the IADE student entirely through the Internet medium. The challenge in teaching these courses effectively is to provide complete representations of the different levels of abstraction required, along with as much class interaction as possible. In the Active Networks series offered by the Engineering Technology Department at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, course requirements involve the modeling of microelectronic devices and circuits based on physical and operational properties and the use of these models in the design and analysis of systems using these devices. A variety of synchronous and asynchronous delivery and interaction mechanisms to provide support and enable students to comprehend and appreciate this crucial component in the study of electrical engineering technology are employed. The approaches taken in the successful delivery of complex concepts and, most importantly, student mastery of course material are the focus of our discussion in this paper.