A Project- and Design-Oriented Innovative Electrical Engineering Program

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The establishment of this program, coincident with the creation of a new College of Engineering at the University of North Texas, is resulting in the development of a model curriculum representing a significant change in the manner Electrical Engineering (EE) students are educated. This innovative curriculum is engaging students in enhanced cognitive self-realization in a learning-to-learn (L2L) process integrated with project-oriented industrial experiences at the freshman level, with additional project-oriented courses added each semester. Instructors recruited from nearby industries are helping team-teach the project-oriented courses. Such industry-university collaborations are helping students integrate theory, practice and business sense, ensuring that the engineering curriculum continues to be relevant, competitive, global and directed toward future technological developments. While traditional programs in electrical engineering emphasize modular structures and specialty disciplines, the approach of this project combines insights from cognitive science and learning/teaching styles with an appreciation of the practical challenges raised by focusing the attention of students on project design issues in a class. Thus, the project is integrating project-based learning and L2L throughout the curriculum. The benefits of this approach include increased student participation in the learning process (active learning and self-learning), enhanced communication skills, adaptation of pedagogies to a wider set of learning styles, and promotion of critical thinking and problem-solving techniques. Major features of the approach include industry-university partnerships, the focus on active learning, the emphasis on team-building, business and entrepreneurship education, lifelong learning and the importance of relevant engineering activities applied to real-world problems.