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A new approach to teaching electronics: content and methodology

Electronics is a required two-semester course for electrical engineering juniors at Bucknell University. Rather than following a more traditional approach focusing purely on circuit design, this course includes a solid foundation in the electronic devices themselves. The course addresses topics such as semiconductor properties, device physics, operation, modeling, as well as design applications of diodes and transistors. To educate productive engineers who can compete in today's economy, it is essential to introduce them to the key concepts underlying modern technologies. Also, given the rising importance of optoelectronics, introducing all undergraduates, not just those concentrating on optics, to simple optoelectronic devices seems imperative. Including such content changes can be exciting and it has a direct impact on the weekly laboratory which accompanies the course. Considerable effort went into developing the laboratory experiments dealing with semiconductor physics and basic device concepts. These labs ranged from exploring light emitting diodes of different wavelengths to using a human switch to illustrate the difference between types of transistors. Student feedback concerning the labs was positive. To encourage the students to be more involved and excited about the course, several innovative pedagogical techniques have also been employed. These include having students present informal oral reviews of the previous lecture at each class meeting and answer a question written by a classmate.