A New Pedagogy in Electrical and Computer Engineering: an Experiential and Conceptual Approach

1 Zeynep Dilli, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, A.V. Williams Bldg, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742. [email protected] 2 Neil Goldsman, Department of Elect rical and Computer Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park. 3 Janet A. Schmidt, Engineering Administration, College of Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park. 4 Lee Harper, Institute of Systems Research, University of Maryland, College Park. 5 Steven I. Marcus, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park. Abstract  This paper reports on an experimental program for educating high-school and beginning-college students in ubiquitous areas within Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). The unique aspect of this program is that it teaches advanced engineering topics using concepts and relevant experience rather than high-level mathematics, thus making many subjects normally reserved for the sophomore and junior year ECE curricula accessible to high-school and beginning-college students. The course has lecture and laboratory components, with topics selected and experiments designed to demonstrate their real-life relevance. Students in the pilot program succeeded in their laboratory work, and approximately 50% demonstrated high proficiency on college-level exam problems. Student evaluations of the program reflected a high level of satisfaction.