Teaching Electricity and Magnetism in

electrical engineering

curriculum: applied methods and

trendsJoaquín Mur, Antonio Usón, Jesús Letosa, Miguel Samplón, Sergio

ArtalElectrical Engineering Department, Escuela Universitaria de

Ingeniería Técnica Industrial, University of Zaragoza, María de Luna 3, 50018 (Spain).

Scope Share the experience of teaching fundamental

concepts in Electromagnetics to freshmen: Smooth changes from 1995, as adapting the course to

the level of the incoming students, changes to increase motivation through real world applications and lowering the mathematical skills demanded.

Search for methods with pedagogical advantages Search for methods more suitable to the new

European higher education environment convened in Bologna new curriculum and syllabus.

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Introduction:Zaragoza University

Public university: 70% of its budget, $ 218 270 000, coming form the national or regional budget.

2796 professors and lecturers (62% of them have tenure).

1344 management and administration staff (84,5% of them are civil servants).

31 short cycle degree programs, 24 long cycle degree programs.

37258 undergraduate students (48,9% in short cycles, 51,1% in long cycles).

Yearly cost of tuition and fees is around $ 910.

3

Introduction: Industrial Engineering Tech. College

3700 short-cycle students, 169 professors and lecturers, 31 management and administration staff.

Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, Electronics and Industrial Design Engineering short cycle degrees.

Its relation with the industry is low but it has strong links with the Professional Association of Industrial Technical Engineers.

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Introduction: Electricity and Magnetism

Two-semester course, 334 students 3 hours a week of regular classes for theory and

conceptual applications (90 hours). 1 hour a week of regular problem-solving classes

(30 h) 15 hours of supervised laboratory work.

Difficult to learn and teach: Abstract and not intuitive concepts. Electromagnetism phenomena cannot be

experienced by human senses Electromagnetism theory requires complex

mathematical skills

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Why and how did we change?

Generalised complaint from the students about the underlying mathematical burden and the scarce real-world applications, especially from those students coming form vocational training

Teaching is still based mainly on lectures, with demonstrations and new technologies

Lecturing requires: wide teaching experience keeping the subject in perspective, good classroom discipline for adequate learning atmosphere.

Progressive introduction of computer-based learning

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Our Experience Teaching Electricity and Magnetism (I)

We move from the differential description to the more intuitive integral description.

Progressive introduction of problems related to real-world engineering applications.

Include suitable lecture demonstrationsPIRA. Optional laboratory assignment (usually

construction of prototypes). New technologies: excerpts from video collec-

tions, visualizations from MIT 8.02 E&M and interactive programs (Physlets and other java applets) resources are compiled in a web site interactive engagement

7

Our Experience Teaching Electricity and Magnetism (II)

Tutorials optional seminars Balance the initial skill differences among students Test bed for educational innovations in small

groups

Laboratory supervised work restructured Systematization:

Documents with contents, objectives, assignments, reading list, useful Internet links and study recommendations

Estimation of the workload for students and lecturers European Credit Transfer System (ECTS)

8

Flowchart of activities

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Theory lectures

Problem-solving lectures

Lecture demonstrations

(Adapted) real-world problems

Laboratory work

Group problem solving seminars

Construction of prototypes

Individual tutorials

Teaching Experimental Classic tutorials

Reg

ula

r cl

asse

s O

pti

onal

ac

tivi

ties

Student and lecturer workload

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Student workload Hours Lecturer workload Hours Attending lectures 120 Lectures (3 groups) 360 Laboratory 15 Laboratory (15 groups) 225

Prep-time 510 Self study (including seminars)

130 Tutorials 360

Re-sit exam 20 Exams 360 Other academic

training activities 150

Total 285 Total 1965

Survey results :Achieved goals

Students find the concepts of Electromagnetism a little easier although they still consider them rather difficult to learn.

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Perception of the difficulty of Electricity and Magnetism

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

1995

-19

96

1996

-19

97

1997

-19

98

1998

-19

99

1999

-20

00

2000

-20

01

2001

-20

02

2002

-20

03

Academic Year

Ver

y d

iffi

cult

or

som

ewh

at

dif

ficu

lt

Survey results :Achieved goals

Students consider Electromagnetism very important for their training

12

Perception of the importance of Electricity and Magnetism for engineering training

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1995

-19

96

1996

-19

97

1997

-19

98

1998

-19

99

1999

-20

00

2000

-20

01

2001

-20

02

2002

-20

03

Academic Year

Ver

y im

po

rtan

t o

r so

mew

hat

imp

ort

ant

Survey results :Achieved goals

Students think that the teaching resources have been improved and they are satisfied with the current level of teaching resources

Laboratory sessions dedicated only to electromagnetic phenomena have also been very well accepted.

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Teaching resources used by the lecturer

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1995

-19

96

1996

-19

97

1997

-19

98

1998

-19

99

1999

-20

00

2000

-20

01

2001

-20

02

2002

-20

03

Academic Year

Exc

elle

nt

or

very

go

od

Survey Results: Failures

The engagement of the students is still very low as well as the academic results.

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Students' engagement

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

1998

-19

99

1999

-20

00

2000

-20

01

2001

-20

02

2002

-20

03

Academic Year

Per

cen

tag

e o

f su

rvey

s Students passing theclass

Students attendinglectures in the last twoweeks of 2nd semester

Survey Results: Failures

Attendance at second semester is still quite low and has not been increased at all

15

Students attending final lectures

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

1998

-19

99

1999

-20

00

2000

-20

01

2001

-20

02

2002

-20

03Academic Year

Per

cen

tag

e o

f re

gis

tere

d

stu

den

ts

Students attendinglectures in the last twoweeks of 2nd semester

Survey Results: Failures

Students’ benefits from conventional lectures have been improved. Nevertheless, higher level could be attained.

The number of students engaged in voluntary work is extremely low, as it does not reach up to 5% of the registered students

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Understanding of the concepts presented at lectures

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%

1998

-19

99

1999

-20

00

2000

-20

01

2001

-20

02

2002

-20

03

Academic Year

Per

cen

tag

e o

f su

rvey

s Students understandingall or almost all theconcepts presented

Students understanding all oralmost all the electromagneticconcepts presented afterreviewing

Evaluation Continuous evaluation strongly demanded

by the students, not yet implemented due to the high number of students.

3 hour examination at the end of each semester + 3 re-sit exams.

Importance of laboratory work should be increased (10% of the final mark).

Voluntary work doesn’t appeal to students (10% extra points).

Academic success is still low (table XII).

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Conclusions:Present situation

The present standard required is appropriate for freshmen.

The low requirements to enrol and to continue in a course, together with the low cost of tuition and fees, can explain the relaxed approach of some students to the subject.

A compulsory enhancement should be to get the students more involved in the learning process in order to increase their comprehension of the subject.

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Future improvements

Conclusions: Future improvements

More motivation and better results are required; this might be achieved if students could have closer contact with professional practice.

More supervised laboratory seminars are needed.

Additional examinations organised by the faculties should test the initial level of knowledge of freshmen.

In case the freshmen do not reach the required level, they should undergo an introductory course organised by the faculty.

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