ECE 101 Exploring Electrical Engineering

• Course Overview• What it takes to be successful

2

Major Topics

ECE projectsWhat’s EE about?

Engineering problem solving

3

Course Outcomes

Students will have the ability to:1. Ability to solve engineering problems. 2. Ability to do research on areas of electrical

engineering. 3. Ability to write technical reports and summaries. 4. Ability to perform simple lab experiments.5. Ability to complete a project involving both design

and technical elements. 6. Ability to work on a team.

4

Prerequisites Interest in electrical engineering (or engineering in general) Curiosity Algebra and trigonometry (but we will practice this so that you will

brush up on it)

Organization Lectures (typically on Tuesdays) + Labs (typically on Thursdays) Invited speakers One individual project + one group projects + project demo Four homework + five lab reports Final exam - simple, mostly (maybe all) multiple choice questions Initial weekly schedule posted on ECE101 webpage – subject to

change!

5

Required

PSU D2L account (Submissions only) MCECS account so that you can access labs and computers Internet access – to communicate with teammates, watch videos Calculator (basic scientific model) – or laptop with MATLAB (below)

Recommended Portable computer to participate in in-class exercises Obtain MATLAB (for in-class work) – can be accessed remotely on

MCECS computers or used on MCECS computers directly $50 or $99 student version from www.mathworks.com Install on your own portable computer Also available in ECE labs and MCECS computer labs

Engineering paper for HW and working on problems

6

Textbooks

Required: Introductory Mathematics for Engineering Applications

Authors: K.S. Rattan and N.W. KlingbeilPublisher: Wiley(available from PSU Bookstore and elsewhere)- all the math you need to get started with ECE

Recommended Engineering Your Future: A brief introduction to engineering (5th ed.)

Authors: W.C. Oakes and L.L. LeonePublisher: Oxford University Press(available from PSU Bookstore and elsewhere)- a lot of good advice and description of “soft”

engineering skills

7

Grading Policy

10% Class participation (attendance, prep, in-class activities) 25% Labs and lab reports 15% Individual project / report 25% Group Rube Goldberg project and report 15% Group project demo 10% Final exam Grading scale (x is your overall score):

x ≥ 90% A 70% ≤ x < 80% C

80% ≤ x < 90% B 60% ≤ x < 70% D

x < 60% Unmentionable

8

Academic Dishonesty Policy

All homework assignments are to be completed on an individual basis. The solutions and documentation you submit for grading should be a product of your own creativity and not a copy of someone else's work. However, you may discuss general topics with other students in the class.

If multiple students submit homework solutions that are obviously derived from the same source, then each of those students will receive a grade of zero (0) for that homework.

Failure to comply with these rules is considered academic dishonesty, in which case your Department will be informed of the situation, and you will have to deal with the consequences.

9

Dropping or Withdrawing from the Course

Last day to drop course (no grade recorded): up to the end of the second week of the term.

Withdraw from course ("W" grade): from the beginning of the third week up to the end of the seventh week

After the deadlines, you have to petition the PSU Deadline Appeals Committee and explain why you merit an extension.

Note: It is your responsibility to confirm the deadlines.

10

How can you succeed in this course?

Do not assume ECE 101 is simple just because it is a 100-level course. You will spend a lot of time in the labs, working on projects and solving sample problems. Grading will not be strict but ** I need to see that you are making an effort !! **

Take charge of your own education! Review the posted lecture notes before each class session. Participate actively in class. Utilize good study habits. Practice, practice, practice! Ask for help from the instructor, teaching assistant, or IEEE

tutors. Don’t be shy!

11

What happens in one week of ECE 101? Roughly 12 hours devoted to this class, including Tu/Th classes These are just estimates and averaged over the 10 weeks There are 4 HW-s and 5 lab reports. Spending 1-2 hours on these seems

reasonable There are two projects that cover entire 10 weeks: individual and RG.

Individual will take a bit more of your time but if all 5 members spend 3 hours 15 hours or two days worth of work can be done

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Weekend Class (face-to-

face): 2 hours Class (lab): 2

hours

Reading/ viewing for Thursday lab ½ hour

Solving HW ORLab report1-2 hours

Reading / viewing for Tuesday:1 hour

Project work (includes individual + group projects) – varies; about 3 hours/week

12

What works? Suggested reading: ch 4 Succeeding in the Classroom, Oakes & Leone Some key concepts and suggestions

Think of this individually at first: What three things would you recommend to your friends and colleagues

as the most effective tools to learn better? Define better in whatever terms you wish

Get together in groups of five and discuss your suggestions and come up with a group consensus about three best

If you have a laptop, display them on screen If there is time we’ll go over all groups; if not I’ll select one or two

randomly.

13

What works? Suggested reading: ch 4 Succeeding in the Classroom, Oakes & Leone Some key concepts and suggestions

Positive attitude – expecting to fail usually results in exactly that … Define your goals

Best to write them down Set “reasonable” and “stretch” goals (allowing for growth …) Time affects goals – define short-term and long-term goals Weekly? Month? Quarter? Year? – you decide But plan ahead and for longer term Good grades could be one goal but don’t stop there – education is about learning not

just getting good grades Manage your time

2 hours outside of class for each hour in class; for a full-time student the multiplier should not exceed 3x.

In general, attending class correlates with success Once in class – participate, pay attention and take notes Whenever possible, prepare for class (readings, problems, etc) Do NOT fall behind

14

What works? Suggested reading: ch 4 Succeeding in the Classroom, Oakes & Leone Some key concepts and suggestions

More on time: Do assigned problems but do not stop there. Practice solving as many problems as you

can fit in your allotted time Do not use solution manuals, but Do consult with other students (careful – it should not become copying from others; that

is cheating) Manage your time – many good resources given in Ch 4.

Set up study group(s) Prepare individually before getting together Set expectation on level of preparation Set expectations on what will be done during study group meeting Find a good place (FAB, EB, Library, …) Hold each other accountable Remove slackers

Engage your professors and TA-s Seems obvious but few students do it

15

What works? Suggested reading: ch 4 Succeeding in the Classroom, Oakes & Leone Some key concepts and suggestions

Accountability Make yourself accountable to someone and check with them regularly

Do not get discouraged by failures and setbacks Remember: these are opportunities for growth (see SciAm article and Dweck’s video) SciAm – see on class webpage Dweck’s video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-swZaKN2Ic

16

Projects Individual project + group project (Rube Goldberg) Some key concepts and suggestions

Individual project (full description on webpage)Research an area (field) of electrical and computer engineering

that you find interesting and prepare a 3-4 page report about it. Three pages of text, not including references, translates into roughly 1,500 words in a single-spaced, 12 pt Times New Roman font. Use this number of words as a guide but please do not exceed 4 pages overall.

Project report has specific requirements – see full descriptionMain points: learn more about areas of ECE and practice writing.

17

Note from PSU - Safe Campus Module in D2L If you have not done so already, please complete the Safe Campus Module

in D2L. The module should take approximately 30 to 40 minutes to complete and contains important information and resources. If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, you can find the appropriate resources at Sexual Misconduct Prevention & Response: www.pdx.edu/sexual-assault/ .

PSU's Student Code of Conduct makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender are strictly prohibited and offenses are subject to the full realm of sanctions, up to and including suspension and expulsion.