“Fabulous Fridays”: Satisfying Abet 2000 Criterion I And J In An Optoelectronics Elective

Upper-division undergraduate elective courses are good candidates for implementing ABET 2000 Criteria 3i and j relating to lifelong learning and contemporary issues in Electrical Engineering curricula. At the University of San Diego, students developed skills related to these criteria in an Optoelectronic Materials and Devices elective. The criteria are directly addressed in two of the course objectives: to aid the students’ professional development by addressing issues such as the ability to critically evaluate technical papers, conduct effective literature research, and express information orally and in writing and to identify at least two current topics in optoelectronics research. Several innovative pedagogical techniques were integrated into the course to address lifelong learning and contemporary issues. Students explored an area more deeply by conducting literature research including a paper and a presentation on a topic of their choice. Topics ranged from organic LEDs to photonic crystals. In Spring 2003, the last fifteen minutes of each Friday class was devoted to “Fabulous Friday” where one student led a discussion of a recent article which he/she had distributed to the class on Monday. Articles came from sources such as Laser Focus World and IEEE Spectrum. This endeavor gave the students an opportunity to develop oral communication skills and the ability to critically evaluate new information from sources other than textbooks and lectures. Topics included curing blindness with LEDs and iris scanning for security. Students provided feedback on this process at the end of the semester which resulted in revised instructions for “Fabulous Friday”. This framework may be adapted to any courses where criteria i and j are addressed. Contemporary issues were also incorporated into homework assignments. For example, students evaluated an issue of Laser Focus World by reviewing the “Back to Basics” article. Investigating the advertisements helped them learn about the diversity of current products and companies in the optoelectronic industry. Introduction There is general agreement from industry 1 , students 2 , and faculty 3 , on the value of learning skills related to ABET Criteria 3i and j on lifelong learning and contemporary issues. The rationale for this is often described in terms of the rapidly developing pace of current technology, the short time available in a standard engineering curriculum, and the need for engineers to be able to adapt to new responsibilities. However, finding appropriate places for addressing these criteria in an electrical engineering (EE) curriculum can be a challenge. Various approaches have been adopted including developing a general education course for engineers 4 , a senior engineering Page 10484.1 Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2005, American Society for Engineering Education seminar 5 , providing opportunities outside the classroom 6 , identifying existing courses throughout the curriculum 7 , or incorporating within a core class 8 . Upper-division undergraduate elective courses are good candidates for incorporating these ABET 2000 criteria in EE curricula. This paper describes the implementation of these criteria in such an elective. In the EE program at the University of San Diego (USD), we have chosen to further define these criteria as (i) a recognition of the need for and an ability to engage in life-long learning Students are challenged with problems from which they must independently seek knowledge. (j) a knowledge of contemporary issues This outcome is defined by the program to mean knowledge of contemporary issues within the discipline of electrical engineering. In this course, contemporary issues focused on within the field of optoelectronics. Although students have a choice of electives, all USD EE electives aim to address criteria i and j. Typically there are about twenty students in junior and senior level required electrical engineering classes at USD. In Fall 2003, eight students i enrolled in an elective on Optoelectronic Materials and Devices where they developed skills related to these criteria. The criteria are directly addressed in two of the course objectives stated on the course syllabus as: • to aid the students’ professional development by addressing issues such as the ability to critically evaluate technical papers, conduct effective literature research, and express information orally and in writing • to identify at least two current topics in optoelectronics research Several innovative pedagogical techniques were integrated into the course to satisfy these objectives. In addition, they address the related ABET criterion g “an ability to communicate effectively” orally and in writing. These activities were integrated into the course as required elements of the course so that their usefulness and relevance to the topics were clear to the students. The two major activities, literature research project and “Fabulous Friday” were discussed on the first day of class. It is important that the students understand the instructor’s expectations regarding these types of assignments and that they are given adequate time to complete them. Thus this course has clear expectations communicated to the students, encourages students to take responsibility for their learning in several ways including leading a discussion, presenting information, and conducting literature research, and provides motivation for students by having them do activities that are fun and nontraditional. All of these aspects fit in with the strategies for developing lifelong learning described by Parkinson 6 and McCombs 9 . Course Activities Related to Lifelong Learning and Contemporary Issues Literature Research Project: Paper and Presentation Students explored an area more deeply by writing and presenting a paper on a topic of their choice. Multiple opportunities for peer review and criticism are provided to help students develop their communication skills as well as requiring them to think at the highest level of Bloom’s taxonomy “Evaluation” 10 . As Mourtos 7 describes, operating at these higher levels is i Due to the limited availability of laboratory facilities, the enrollment is capped at eight students. P ge 10484.2 Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2005, American Society for Engineering Education essential for developing lifelong learning skills. Students chose topics ranging from organic LEDs to lasers in medicine to photonic crystals to free space communication systems. In the syllabus distributed on the first day of class, the parameters of this project were described (presentation to class and written report: 6-10 pages typed, cover sheet, appropriate documentation of multiple references). To enhance the quality of the final product, interim deadlines were provided. About four weeks into the class, students submit a topic and state why they chose this topic, one thing they know about it, one thing they want to investigate, and give appropriate citations for at least two references. About four weeks later, they submit an outline identifying the specific topics to be discussed. Three weeks later, a draft of the paper is due. It must be in the format of the final paper and is peer reviewed in class on the day it is submitted. Final papers are due two weeks later or about 1.5 weeks before the semester ends to allow time for the instructor to grade and return the papers on the last day of class. The final paper due date is also the first day of presentations. Each student presents for about thirty minutes including questions with two students presenting per fifty-five minute class period. About one month before the end of the semester, students sign up for a presentation date and a consultation with the instructor a few days before their presentation date. Students are instructed to bring copies of their slides to this meeting so that the instructor can provide useful feedback. Students peer review each other’s presentation and the instructor provided a summary for each student including comments from peers and instructor and grades for content and presentation from peers and instructor. Most students did very well on the presentation with grades ranging from 75 to 100%. The grading by the instructor and the students was quite consistent with the average grades being within 4% of each other. All students used PowerPoint. Some students included demonstrations, mini-lectures on the board, candy rewards, or interactive questions. Each presenter also prepared two questions with answers based on their presentation for possible use on the final exam. They were encouraged to share these with their classmates either during or after their presentation. These questions were intended to help the students focus their presentations and make their expectations clear for their classmates similar to learning objectives for a course. After some editing by the instructor, a multiple choice question based on each presentation was included on the final exam. Students generally do well on this section of the final exam. Having the students take responsibility for their own learning and that of their classmates helps them develop lifelong learning skills. Copies of all documentation used for this project are available from the author. “Fabulous Fridays” In Spring 2003, the last fifteen minutes of each Friday class was devoted to “Fabulous Friday” where one student led a discussion of a recent article which he/she had distributed to the class on Monday. During the first week of class, the instructor distributed and discussed the guidelines for “Fabulous Fridays” and students signed up to be the leader for a specific Friday during the semester. Instructions given to students included • Find an interesting article. Sources such as Scientific American, IEEE