Cooperative University/Industry Development Of A Freshman ‘Introduction To Ece Design’ Course

Faculty members from Georgia Tech’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) have worked jointly with engineers from National Instruments (NI) to develop a new freshman engineering course. This course is entitled ‘Introduction to ECE Design’ and is constructed around the use of the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT robotics system. NI partnered with LEGO to jointly develop the programming software for the MINDSTORMS NXT, and their engineers are uniquely positioned to provide insight into the use and functionality of these kits. NI engineers have not only provided technical support but have also conceived and designed most of the laboratories for the course. This course addresses the diverse objectives of providing students with a systems-level design experience at the beginning of their academic programs and introducing them to a broad range of ECE disciplines. A primary goal is to enable students to make better-informed decisions when choosing whether or not to major in electrical engineering or computer engineering.