An Intuitive Approach to Teaching Key Concepts in Control Systems

As technology advances, newer generations are developing with quicker access to greater quantities of information than each one that precedes it. Congruently, research has shown a reduction in patience, while identifying the majority of the general populace as visual learners. This brings about the implication that conventional methods of text based instruction may not be as effective as they have been with previous generations. As technology brings about a paradigm shift in the way people perceive and learn new information, additional methods should be explored to adapt to new styles of learning. This paper focuses on a mini-experimental reform to display topics in control systems in a visual and engaging manner before transitioning to traditional material. The method is designed to be purely supplemental to existing material in order to establish intuition before introducing deeper mathematical analysis. As this method is aimed at catering to visual styles of learning, it is also designed to engage the audience, retaining their attention. This strategy is also meant to foster an environment where students can feel un-intimidated by content with the hopes of boosting confidence while they establish intuition to apply to later analysis. As many efforts are currently being explored by many educators to achieve the same goal, it is the focus of this project to create a working manuscript for instructors to reference many key topics in control systems. This is part of a greater effort at Florida Atlantic University to apply this method to different subjects in engineering such as computer algorithms, calculus, and MATLAB. To gauge the receptiveness of the methodology, the techniques were applied over the course of a semester for a class titled “Control Systems 1”. The results, although preliminary, have been positive. A larger effort is presently being conducted re-assess the success of the method by monitoring the progress of a class and its individuals as the semester moves on.