Web Based Interactive Ee Lesson Development: A Modular Approach

This presentation discusses the development of Web-based lessons on the basics of electronic circuit design and theory. Gary Daniels, adjunct assistant professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, partnered with the College of Engineering’s Faculty Innovation Center to develop a series of interactive lessons targeting freshmen in the ECE program. With nearly 2000 ECE undergraduates at UT-Austin, these lessons can potentially impact a large number of students. Understanding complex theoretical topics is challenging for many electrical engineering students. These lessons directly address their needs by presenting the information in small chunks, encouraging learners to process each concept before moving on to the next one. Graphics and animation visually illustrate difficult concepts, and lessons are enhanced by liberal use of humor. Prototype development is discussed, including the problems and limitations encountered. Student responses and evaluation results are presented. A modular approach was taken after completion of the first lesson. The team storyboarded content and developed the interactive lessons using templates to improve the production rate. The result is an effective technology-enhanced supplement to classroom instruction that can be efficiently produced.