Hands-on Activities for Continuous-Time Signals and Systems

July 7-10, 2013, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

This workshop offers engineering and science faculty an engaging opportunity to address two questions: 1) Why do students struggle so much with concepts in continuous-time signals and systems (CTSS) courses? And 2) What are some methods that instructors can use to help the students grasp the fundamental concepts? This workshop will take place at Rose-Hulman and is supported by an NSF grant. The purpose of this workshop is to provide:

• an exploration of the sources of difficulty in CTSS courses
• an introduction to the signals and systems exploration platform (SSEP)
• a hands-on experience with laboratories that have been used at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and Bucknell University
• an opportunity to design your own hands-on activities using the SSEP

Intended Purpose of the Workshop

The introductory CTSS course is one of the most difficult courses that students encounter in an electrical and computer engineering (ECE) curriculum, as evidenced by well-above-average drop/failure rates.    We have received NSF funding to explore why students find these courses so difficult and to determine effective methods for helping students grasp the concepts. To help explore the problem, we will spark discussion by presenting data from surveys, focus groups, historical data, the CTSS concept inventory, and the Index of Learning Styles.  To demonstrate effective methods for engaging students, hands-on activities that were developed at Rose-Hulman and Bucknell will be presented. The SSEP is a printed circuit board containing analog electronics that was developed at Rose-Hulman to facilitate such activities. All attendees will be given an opportunity to develop their own activities using the SSEP during the workshop and will receive one SSEP to take back to their host institution.

Intended Audience

This workshop is intended for engineering and science faculty and prospective faculty (including graduate students) who are interested in improving learning in CTSS courses. 

Workshop Information

Date: July 7-10, 2013

Financial Information

Workshop Tuition: No Fee, but we are asking for a $100 deposit to hold your place. The deposit is due upon notification of acceptance to the workshop, and will be refunded during the workshop.

Meals and Lodging: No fee if you choose to stay on campus. If staying off campus, individuals are responsible for their own lodging.

Travel Arrangements: Individuals are responsible for their own travel arrangements.

Location

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is located in Terre Haute, IN and is situated approximately 1 hour West of Indianapolis on I-70.  Terre Haute is within driving distance of a number of major cities, including St. Louis, Chicago, Indianapolis, Louisville, and Cincinnati. For more information, please visit www.rose-hulman.edu and www.terrehaute.in.gov.

The application form is available here, and should be returned by email to Mario Simoni.

In order to keep the workshop smaller and more dynamic, we will be accepting only 10 applicants. Notification of acceptance will be provided when we receive the application.