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Creating an Agile ECE Learning Environment Through Engineering Clinics | IEEE Journals & Magazine | IEEE Xplore

Creating an Agile ECE Learning Environment Through Engineering Clinics


Abstract:

To keep up with rapidly advancing technology, numerous innovations to the electrical and computer engineering (ECE) curriculum, learning methods and pedagogy have been en...Show More

Abstract:

To keep up with rapidly advancing technology, numerous innovations to the electrical and computer engineering (ECE) curriculum, learning methods and pedagogy have been envisioned, tested, and implemented. It is safe to say that no single approach will work for all of the diverse ECE technologies and every type of learner. However, a few key innovations appear useful in keeping undergraduate students motivated to learn, resilient to technology evolution, and oriented amid the overload of new information and ECE applications. Engineering clinics, similar to their medical clinic counterparts, provide project-based experiences within the core of an ECE education that enable transformation of the entire curriculum toward an outcomes-oriented, student-centered, total-quality environment. Clinics and project-based learning approaches build skills that give the students confidence and motivation to continuously self-learn and adapt as the technologies around them give way to new, more effective paradigms. Perhaps more importantly, engineering clinic experiences provide numerous opportunities for students to experience the holism of true engineering problem-solving approaches and the ranges of potential technology solutions. This paper reviews the clinic innovations that will enable ECE education to become more effective in the midst of the present plethora of information and technology. Assessment results are provided and are very encouraging. This paper concludes that agile learning environments, created to graduate engineers who can be rapidly productive in the professional and research worlds, are enhanced by clinic and/or project-based learning experiences in the ECE curriculum.
Published in: IEEE Transactions on Education ( Volume: 53, Issue: 3, August 2010)
Page(s): 455 - 462
Date of Publication: 06 October 2009

ISSN Information:

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, USA
Peter Mark Jansson (SM'07) received the B.S.C.E. degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, in 1978, the M.S.E. degree from Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, in 1997, and the Ph.D. in engineering from the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, U.K., in 2003.
He is an Associate Professor with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rowan University. Currently, he is on sabbatical as a Visit...Show More
Peter Mark Jansson (SM'07) received the B.S.C.E. degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, in 1978, the M.S.E. degree from Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, in 1997, and the Ph.D. in engineering from the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, U.K., in 2003.
He is an Associate Professor with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rowan University. Currently, he is on sabbatical as a Visit...View more
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, USA
Ravi P. Ramachandran (SM'08) received the B.Eng. degree (with great distinction) from Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada, in 1984, and the M.Eng. and Ph.D. degrees from McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada, in 1986 and 1990, respectively.
From October 1990 to December 1992, he worked at the Speech Research Department at AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ. From January 1993 to August 1997, he was a Research ...Show More
Ravi P. Ramachandran (SM'08) received the B.Eng. degree (with great distinction) from Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada, in 1984, and the M.Eng. and Ph.D. degrees from McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada, in 1986 and 1990, respectively.
From October 1990 to December 1992, he worked at the Speech Research Department at AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ. From January 1993 to August 1997, he was a Research ...View more
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, USA
John L. Schmalzel (F'08) received the B.S.E.E., M.S.E.E., and Ph.D. degrees in engineering from Kansas State University, Manhattan, in 1973, 1977, and 1980, respectively.
He is a Professor with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ. Currently, he is on an IPA mobility assignment to NASA-Stennis Space Center (SSC) in MS. He is working in the advanced technology development gr...Show More
John L. Schmalzel (F'08) received the B.S.E.E., M.S.E.E., and Ph.D. degrees in engineering from Kansas State University, Manhattan, in 1973, 1977, and 1980, respectively.
He is a Professor with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ. Currently, he is on an IPA mobility assignment to NASA-Stennis Space Center (SSC) in MS. He is working in the advanced technology development gr...View more
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, USA
Shreekanth Mandayam (SM'06) received the B.E. degree in electronics engineering from Bangalore University, Bangalore, India, in 1990, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering (communications and signal processing) from Iowa State University, Ames, in 1993 and 1996, respectively.
He is a Professor and Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ. He directs the Virtual Real...Show More
Shreekanth Mandayam (SM'06) received the B.E. degree in electronics engineering from Bangalore University, Bangalore, India, in 1990, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering (communications and signal processing) from Iowa State University, Ames, in 1993 and 1996, respectively.
He is a Professor and Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ. He directs the Virtual Real...View more

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, USA
Peter Mark Jansson (SM'07) received the B.S.C.E. degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, in 1978, the M.S.E. degree from Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, in 1997, and the Ph.D. in engineering from the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, U.K., in 2003.
He is an Associate Professor with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rowan University. Currently, he is on sabbatical as a Visiting Fellow at Clare Hall College, University of Cambridge. He is working on the application of Mach's Principle to potentially discovering novel paradigms in electricity generation via renewable sources. He has over 30 years of experience in solving technical and management challenges facing the modern-day electric power industry under deregulation. His research interests include renewable energy systems, sustainable design, innovation in electricity, and new educational paradigms.
Dr. Jansson is a Registered Professional Engineer in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and his consulting work as President of Integrated Systems, Pitman, NJ, has led to the installation of many megawatts of grid-tied photovoltaic power plants across the northeastern USA.
Peter Mark Jansson (SM'07) received the B.S.C.E. degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, in 1978, the M.S.E. degree from Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, in 1997, and the Ph.D. in engineering from the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, U.K., in 2003.
He is an Associate Professor with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rowan University. Currently, he is on sabbatical as a Visiting Fellow at Clare Hall College, University of Cambridge. He is working on the application of Mach's Principle to potentially discovering novel paradigms in electricity generation via renewable sources. He has over 30 years of experience in solving technical and management challenges facing the modern-day electric power industry under deregulation. His research interests include renewable energy systems, sustainable design, innovation in electricity, and new educational paradigms.
Dr. Jansson is a Registered Professional Engineer in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and his consulting work as President of Integrated Systems, Pitman, NJ, has led to the installation of many megawatts of grid-tied photovoltaic power plants across the northeastern USA.View more
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, USA
Ravi P. Ramachandran (SM'08) received the B.Eng. degree (with great distinction) from Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada, in 1984, and the M.Eng. and Ph.D. degrees from McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada, in 1986 and 1990, respectively.
From October 1990 to December 1992, he worked at the Speech Research Department at AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ. From January 1993 to August 1997, he was a Research Assistant Professor at Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ. He was also a Senior Speech Scientist at T-Netix, Piscataway, NJ, from July 1996 to August 1997. Since September 1997, he has been with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, where he has been a Professor since September 2006. He has served as a Consultant to T-Netix, Avenir Inc., and Motorola. His research interests are in digital signal processing, speech processing, pattern recognition and filter design.
Prof. Ramachandran was an Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Speech and Audio Processing from September 2002 to September 2005 and was on the Speech Technical Committee for the ICASSP conference. Since September 2000, he has been on the Editorial Board of the IEEE Circuits and Systems Magazine. Since May 2002, he has been on the Digital Signal Processing Technical Committee for the ISCAS conference.
Ravi P. Ramachandran (SM'08) received the B.Eng. degree (with great distinction) from Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada, in 1984, and the M.Eng. and Ph.D. degrees from McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada, in 1986 and 1990, respectively.
From October 1990 to December 1992, he worked at the Speech Research Department at AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ. From January 1993 to August 1997, he was a Research Assistant Professor at Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ. He was also a Senior Speech Scientist at T-Netix, Piscataway, NJ, from July 1996 to August 1997. Since September 1997, he has been with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, where he has been a Professor since September 2006. He has served as a Consultant to T-Netix, Avenir Inc., and Motorola. His research interests are in digital signal processing, speech processing, pattern recognition and filter design.
Prof. Ramachandran was an Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Speech and Audio Processing from September 2002 to September 2005 and was on the Speech Technical Committee for the ICASSP conference. Since September 2000, he has been on the Editorial Board of the IEEE Circuits and Systems Magazine. Since May 2002, he has been on the Digital Signal Processing Technical Committee for the ISCAS conference.View more
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, USA
John L. Schmalzel (F'08) received the B.S.E.E., M.S.E.E., and Ph.D. degrees in engineering from Kansas State University, Manhattan, in 1973, 1977, and 1980, respectively.
He is a Professor with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ. Currently, he is on an IPA mobility assignment to NASA-Stennis Space Center (SSC) in MS. He is working in the advanced technology development group on Integrated Systems Health Management and the underlying intelligent sensor fabric. This work finds application to the rocket engine test stand environment at SSC and has been extended to support space flight projects such as MLAS. His research interests include smart sensors, intelligent systems for health monitoring, vehicular technologies, biomedical devices, and educational innovation.
John L. Schmalzel (F'08) received the B.S.E.E., M.S.E.E., and Ph.D. degrees in engineering from Kansas State University, Manhattan, in 1973, 1977, and 1980, respectively.
He is a Professor with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ. Currently, he is on an IPA mobility assignment to NASA-Stennis Space Center (SSC) in MS. He is working in the advanced technology development group on Integrated Systems Health Management and the underlying intelligent sensor fabric. This work finds application to the rocket engine test stand environment at SSC and has been extended to support space flight projects such as MLAS. His research interests include smart sensors, intelligent systems for health monitoring, vehicular technologies, biomedical devices, and educational innovation.View more
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, USA
Shreekanth Mandayam (SM'06) received the B.E. degree in electronics engineering from Bangalore University, Bangalore, India, in 1990, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering (communications and signal processing) from Iowa State University, Ames, in 1993 and 1996, respectively.
He is a Professor and Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ. He directs the Virtual Reality and Nondestructive Evaluation Laboratories in the South Jersey Technology Park at Rowan University. His research interests include multisensor data fusion, imaging and image processing, advanced visualization, and artificial neural networks applied to nondestructive evaluation.
Shreekanth Mandayam (SM'06) received the B.E. degree in electronics engineering from Bangalore University, Bangalore, India, in 1990, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering (communications and signal processing) from Iowa State University, Ames, in 1993 and 1996, respectively.
He is a Professor and Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ. He directs the Virtual Reality and Nondestructive Evaluation Laboratories in the South Jersey Technology Park at Rowan University. His research interests include multisensor data fusion, imaging and image processing, advanced visualization, and artificial neural networks applied to nondestructive evaluation.View more
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