A Novel Laboratory Based Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering for Sophomores

审稿人认为这个项目是有价值的。我已经阅读了总结和个人评论，并同意他们的评估。这是一个完整的开发建议，将开发，评估和传播材料，为电气工程的替代第一课程。除了教授一些基本概念外，本课程还介绍了该学科，并提供了一系列与实际应用相关的各个领域的实验。申请人已经测试了课程材料的试点版本，结果良好，并要求资金继续他们的工作。评估计划是优秀的，将解决学习成果。传播计划包括教科书出版商、给其他系的信件、在线材料和教师研讨会。他还安排这些材料在北卡罗来纳农工学院（North Carolina a&； T）进行测试，这是一所少数族裔院校。审稿人对这个建议评价很高。他们表示，新课程和实验室的现有部分看起来非常好，并对最初发展中的机构支持印象深刻。他们指出，材料的广度提供了一个很好的概述，实验室将是有趣的学生。实验室模块的低成本，评估计划的客观性质，以及评估顾问的质量给他们留下了深刻的印象。他们列出了以下的小缺点：(1)申请人应该考虑在项目中增加一个少数族裔或开放招生机构，以试点这些材料，作为扩大用户群体和增加工程多样性的一种方式。(2)传播计划可以很容易地增加一个讨论会或讲习班，以促进其他大学的采用。(3)应与商业教育设备供应商接洽，以合理的成本提供制作的实验模块，但不应牺牲自己动手制作的文档的出版。我联系了PI，并建议他考虑修改他的项目，包括与少数民族机构，教师研讨会和可能的商业供应商的合作（见我的电子邮件日期为10/12/01）。PI确实按照他11/27/01的电子邮件和11/28/01的传真中提出的三个建议逐一执行。他安排北卡罗来纳农工学院参与其中，在他们的EE项目中提供一个版本的课程，并小幅增加预算来支持这项工作。他增加了一个教师研讨会，再次增加了预算，以支持参与者的旅行等等。最后，他与TCI Works达成协议，TCI Works是一家非营利机构，通过提供轻型、短期电子组装，为残疾人和弱势群体提供以工作为导向的康复服务。这是一份写得很好的提案，阐述了电气工程第一门课程的性质。为了取代严格的电路理论课程，申请人开发并提供了一门课程，提供了与几个应用相关的学科和实验室经验的概述。几个试点项目的评估结果非常积极，他们希望改进和扩展课程材料，并开发一个基于网络的虚拟实验室，供校外使用。试点提供的评价研究是优秀的，计划今后的评价工作是扎实的。传播计划将是有效的。我建议按订正数额提供资金。

The reviewers found this project to be meritorious. I have read the summary and individual reviews and concur with their assessment. This is a full development proposal that will develop, evaluate, and disseminate material for an alternative first-course in electrical engineering. In addition to teaching some of the fundamental concepts, the course introduces the discipline and provides a set of experiments in various areas tied to real applications. The applicant has tested a pilot version of the course material with good results and asks for funds to continue their work. The assessment plan is excellent and will address learning outcomes. The dissemination plan involves textbook publishers, letters to other departments, on-line material, and a faculty workshop. He also arranged to have the material tested at North Carolina A & T, a minority institution.The reviewers rated this proposal very highly. They indicated that the existing parts of the new course and labs looked very good and were impressed by the institutional support in the initial development. They noted that the breadth of the material provided an excellent overview and that the labs would be fun for the students. The low cost of the lab modules, the objective nature of the assessment plan, and the quality of the assessment consultants impressed them. They listed the following minor weakness: (1) The applicants should consider adding a minority or open enrollment institution to the project to pilot the material as a way of broadening the user population and increasing diversity in engineering. (2) A seminar or workshop could easily be added to the dissemination plan to facilitate adoption at other universities. (3) A commercial educational equipment supplier should be approached concerning offering the experimental modules fabricated at a reasonable cost, but the publication of the documentation for do-it-your-selfers should not be sacrificed. I contacted the PI and suggested that he consider modifying his project to include work with a minority institution, a faculty workshop, and a possible commercial supplier (see my email dated 10/12/01). The PI did followed through on each of the three suggestions as indicated in his email dated 11/27/01 and his FAX dated 11/28/01. He arranged to have North Carolina A & T participate by offering a version of the course in their EE program with a small increase in the budget to support this effort. He added a faculty workshop, again with an increase in the budget to support the participants' travel and so on. Finally, he made arrangements with TCI Works, a nonprofit agency that provides work oriented rehabilitation services for disabled and disadvantaged individuals by providing light, short run electronic assembly, to produce the modules.This is a well-written proposal that addresses the nature of the first course in electrical engineering. In place of a rigorous course on circuit theory, the applicants have developed and offered a course that provides an overview of the discipline and laboratory experiences related to several applications. Evaluation results of several pilot offerings were very positive and they want to refine and expand the course material and develop a web-based virtual lab for off-campus use. The evaluation study of the pilot offering was excellent and planned future assessment work is solid. The dissemination plan will be effective.I recommend funding at the revised level.