EE Exploration Lesson Plan
· The maximum class size is 16. Enrolled class size can be found at:
http://db.geneng.mtu.edu/cgi-gn/reg.cgi
· Attendance has been running about 60-80%.
· There are 4 web pages that guide students through a discussion of signals. This picks on sound which students will listen to and look at. We also use the oscilloscope and 2 MATLAB programs.
· Students are asked questions on the web pages and they are asked to answer them on an answer sheet.
· They hand in the answer sheet with their name on it. This is used for attendance. The students are graded on attendance (each exploration in 2.5% of their course grade in Eng1101). A class list should be emailed to you the day of the exploration. If not, email who attended to Robert Landsparger <>
· Be sure that the switch on the DSP board is switched to "PC"
· Be sure that the microphone is muted.
· If you can not hear sound when a file is played on "Sound Recorder" check the monitor (buttons below the screen) to see if the volume is turned down or muted. Also check the "Volume Control" (double click on the speaker in the system tray) accessory is not muted or turned down
Introduction: Welcome to the ECE Dept. and EE Exploration, introduce yourself
Discuss various things EEs do: Have them brainstorm in groups of 2 (each bench) on things that EEs work on. Call on each group for an example. Talk about it. Emphasize the breadth of the field.
Discuss signals: What is a signal, examples of signals they're familiar with (WMTU), voltage signals, converting voltage signals to sound (there is a speaker cut in half in the closet you could pass around). Looking at signals with an oscilloscope, point out the adapters and the patch cords.
Get them started: Have them open "Internet Explorer". The url is on the top of the answer sheet. Often can get to it by pulling down the arrow on the right side of where the location is typed. Help any student who can't get any sound from their computer.
Students will need help with the settings on the scope to get a usable waveform. The volts/div setting that I give sometimes needs to be changed due to different volume settings on different computers.
Not having the mic muted will produce noise on top of the signal we are looking at.