A Novel Microwave Engineering Course

Asif ShakurSalisbury UniversitySalisbury, Maryland

Is there a need?

Collaborative Engineering Program

University of Maryland - College Park

University of Maryland - Eastern Shore

K&L Microwave

Salisbury is hub of Microwave Engineering!

What is the Goal?

Teach a BETTER course in LESS time!

Contradiction in Terms?

“I have never seen a process which cannot be speeded up by a factor of two while simultaneously increasing the quality”

Bob Galvin

Former CEO, Motorola

What Engineers do Best!

My favorite operational definition of what engineers do is “ design under constraint”

Bill Wulf

President of NAE

(National Academy of Engineering)

What are the Constraints?

Must NOT increase program credit hours

Increase student motivation

Increase student retention

Increase student learning

Improve Industry - Academic Partnership

Traditional Approach

First Electromagnetics

Second Transmission Lines

Third Waveguides

Fourth Microwave Engineering

Novel Approach

Transmission Lines from Circuit Theory

Scattering Matrix from Circuit Theory

Striplines use rudiments of electromagnetics

Gory details of Electromagnetic Waves!

Waveguides

Passive Devices, Filters, Amplifiers

Rationale for Bass Ackwards!

Kill Two Birds With One Stone

1. Does Not Create an Additional Course

2. Improves Student Comprehension

“How People Learn”

This is a 300-page NAE Report

www. nap. edu

Kolb Experiential Cycle

Four Stages of Learning

Concrete Experience (CE)

Reflective Observation (RO)

Abstract Conceptualization (AC)

Active Experimentation (AE)

Why Restructure?

The vast majority of students find it difficult to formulate an abstract view of the phenomena (Kolb’s “AC”) until they have had an opportunity to grapple with the tangible and the concrete (Kolb’s “CE” and “AE”) and reflect on their experience (Kolb’s “RO”).

Software Simulation of Smith Chart

Microwave Engineering Laboratory

Wedding GR Slotted-Line & Agilent!

Pedagogical Epistemology

Practitioners of creative disciplines, such as the arts, are found in the DIVERGENT quadrant.

Pure scientists and mathematicians are in the ASSIMILATIVE quadrant.

Applied scientists and lawyers are in the CONVERGENT quadrant.

Professionals who have to operate more intuitively, such as teachers, are in the ACCOMMODATIVE quadrant.

Square peg in a round hole?

At first blush this seems to be a paradox

Kolb holds the key to resolving this paradox

Concrete before abstract is the key

Less is more!

Innovative microwave engineering course

No increase in graduation credits

Overall increase in the diversity of topics covered

Expanded depth, breadth, and comprehension

Useful course in the students’ repertoire

Conclusion

That’s All Folks!