21 st Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology

1. 21st Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology Panelists: Roy Brixen, Jim Durham,Wayne Phillips, Jim Hyder, and Lou Frenzel

2. Welcome and Overview of Workshop Logistics – breaks, lunch, bathrooms Panelist Introduction Overview of the questions for each session Status update on the 2010 Systems Electronics NSF Grant Workshop Agenda

3. Morning panel session 8:30 a.m. till 12:00 p.m. Session Break 10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Galleria Lunch 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Post Oak & Live Oak Afternoon Session 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Session Break 2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Galleria Workshop Logistics

4. TB Added Workshop Objectives

5. 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology A Summer Quiz The faculty at XYZ Community College is considering a change in program focus from component oriented electronics technology to a more systems approach to electronics technology. As you can guess, opinions vary. Select three statements that reflex your opinion of this action and rank 1 (highest), 2, and 3.

6. 1. This is a stupid idea. Students need loop equations, Boolean algebra, bipolar device load lines, and K-maps to be successful as technicians in industry. 2. All students get jobs as engineering technicians or they transfer to a BSEET program at a 4-year school. I oppose dumbing down the curriculum. 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology

7. 3. Most students work at the systems level. Get on with it. 4. Students need more information on high performance analog and digital ICs. Nobody builds with discreet hardware anymore 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology

8. 5. Include data acquisition and computer control. 6. The program needs to focus on industries that use electronics not industries that make electronics. 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology

9. 7. Tube technology will stage a renaissance. 8. Grads must be able to solve for the total resistance of twelve resistors connected in a cube as fast as possible. Keep the focus on $0.04 components--they're what make electronics work. 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology

10. 9. How does a microcontroller the size of a postage stamp move a 30-ton load? Do you plan to teach fluid power? 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology

11. AM Session--Question 1 Is it time to change from an engineering technician orientation, now that those positions have generally shrunk to a tiny percentage of all technician needs and what should the new orientation be? 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology Roy Brixen

12. Leading question--YES, it’s time to move on Rational from 2006 SAME-TEC Workshop -Technology and Economics -Major Shift to PCs/Networking in Business and Industry -American Industry Changed from Vertical Organization to Horizontal Organization Including Off-shoring of Manufacturing and Outsourcing of Technician Work -The Development of the Engineering Workstation and EDA/CAE Tools -Less Interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and the Loss of Feeder High School Programs via NCLB -Bad Industry PR -Loss of Industry Support -Prospective Students Do Not Know What Electronics is These Days -Lack of Program Promotion and Marketing -Dated Curricula and Courses 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology

13. Rational from Five Company Survey Intel, National Semiconductor, Linear Technology, Texas Instruments, and Applied Materials surveyed for EET Employment during months of May, June, and July via company web site. No EET positions found listed 15 Facilities and Manufacturing Tech positions found listed each month 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology

14. What should the program focus be at this time? A focus on companies that use electronics rather than companies that make electronics Uncover the “hidden” ET job market in your school’s service area Electronics technology is now integrated with electro-mechanical systems, fluid power systems or it is the heart of communications systems 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology

15. AM Session--Question 2 Is it essential to continue to provide a program for BSET transfer given that technician education is no longer engineering oriented? 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology Roy Brixen

16. YES, but if and only if the BSEET program is: geographically close by academically strong with a good placement record with local industry value added in technical knowledge respectful of the student’s work done at the CC via a strong articulation agreement and your CC program gets placement credit for the transfer. 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology

17. AM Session -- Question 3 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology How Much Math is Really Needed Today? James Hyder

18. Technical Mathematics: Electronics, Telecommunications, and Semiconductor Technology CRAFTY Curriculum Foundations Project Los Angeles Pierce College, October 5–8, 2000 J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, October 12–15, 2000 Bob Bixler, James Hyder, John Peterson, and Kathy Yoshiwara, Report Editors Bruce Yoshiwara and Gwen Turbeville, Workshop Organizers Bixler, B.L, Hyder, J., Peterson, J.C., Yoshiwara, K. eds. (2004). Electronics, Telecommunications, and Semiconductor Technology. In CRAFTY Curriculum Foundations Project: Voices of the Partner Disciplines. USA. The Mathematical Association of America. ISBN 0-88385-813-4. Retrieved May 24, 2007 from http://www.maa.org/cupm/crafty/curriculum-foundations.pdf 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology

19. Summary All three of these professions work in the electronics area, but the level of mathematics needed by the different fields varies considerably. Semiconductor technicians need little more than ratios, elementary algebra and elementary statistics. Electronics and telecommunications technicians need more mathematics, including complex numbers, trigonometry, elementary geometry, elementary statistics, and differential and integral calculus. All areas want their students to be able to use technology, such as spreadsheets, to analyze mathematics. 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology

20. Summary Better communication between mathematics and technology departments was considered vital. Suggestions included having mathematics instructors take courses in technical areas to gain a better feel for how mathematics is used, and having technical mathematics faculty be members of technology department advisory boards. 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology

21. Summary Students need more instruction on how to learn and analyze: scenarios, word problems, and open-ended situations should be used. They need to know which type of equation to select as the method for solving a particular problem. Team projects and collaborative learning activities are essential. Teaching with calculators/slide rule might be a disservice if students meet only computers in the workplace. 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology

22. Basic Topics The metric system Measurements and units Conversions between and within system Dimensional analysis Consistent use of units Concepts of perimeter, area, volume “How many atoms are in this cell?” Visualization of inverse-square phenomena Estimating and using orders of magnitude Algebraic Topics and Skills Solving equations for particular variables Linear equations and slopes Quadratic equations Important to test solutions for feasibility. Needed for complex numbers and conjugates Necessary for considering nonlinear effects Simultaneous equations (usually two equations) Cramer’s rule, Gaussian elimination Matrix methods (for more than two variables) Manipulation of inequalities Number systems: binary, hexadecimal 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology • Functions • Definitions of function, dependent variable, and independent variable • Absolute value functions, step functions, polynomials, linear functions & slopes • Exponential functions and logarithms (base 10) • Composite functions • Limits of functions, zeroes, asymptotic behavior, extrapolation • Semiconductor example: where does Ohm’s law break down? • Trigonometry • Basic trigonometric functions: sine, cosine, and tangent • Computations with right triangles • Relationships with the unit circle • Only the most basic trigonometric identities should be introduced • Radian measure • Graphical analysis of sines and cosines: • Amplitude, phase, frequency, RMS peak, and relationship between RMS and peak.

23. Vectors Resultants, addition and subtraction of vectors Vector products and cross-products (for higher level degrees) Phasors (vectors in the complex plane representing sinusoidal signals) Graphs of Functions and Data Coordinate systems, both rectangular and polar Use of log and semi-log paper Curve-fitting techniques (linear regression, etc.) Graphical analysis Statistics Means, medians, standard deviations Normal distributions Sigma notation Know when a process is “drifting” (statistical controls) Variability in measurements Difference between population and sample (discrete vs. continuous data) Descriptive statistics (skew) Quality control 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology • Differential and Integral Calculus • (This is most appropriate for engineering technicians.) • Difference quotients (“differencing”) as related to velocity, acceleration, etc. • Derivatives and integrals and their meanings • Delta functions • Others as we move to a Systems View?

24. AM Session -- Question 4 What are the major changes needed to courses today? 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology Wayne Phillips

25. Electronics Technology Program Metaphor El Vado Motel Route 66 Albuquerque, New Mexico 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology

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31. Since the 70’s The electronics industry has changed Our students have changed Have our programs changed? 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology

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33. Attracting and Retaining Students Many of today’s potential students struggle with basic math and English skills “Web savvy” students are accustomed to instant answers, not “learn this now, it will be important later.” 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology

34. How Do We Respond? 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology “Good afternoon, students. In this first semester we will work with algebra, trigonometry, imaginary and complex numbers to learn how to turn electricity into heat. Trust me, you will need to know this later.”

35. Revision Plan - Goals 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology • Attract and retain more students. • 2-year associate degree • Certificate • General interest • Returning graduates

36. “Top Down Approach” 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology • Emphasis on systems-level skills • Teach the “fun stuff first” • Amplifier gain, clipping, and frequency response first • Series/parallel resistors later • Make the student an active learner • Teach skills that the student can use outside the classroom

37. “Top Down Approach” 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology • “Peel the onion” to get to the deeper topics • The student will already understand the context that an abstract concept fits into

38. Revision Plan - Goals 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology Make it easier for students to take courses of interest • System-level topics introduced early • Reduce prerequisites • Avoid linear sequence of courses • Smaller-unit courses

39. Additional Strategies 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology • Streamline prerequisites • Multiple entry and re-entry points • Allows “refresher” students and non-majors to take single courses as desired • Provide math within context • Better retention • Reduces front-end attrition

40. Additional Strategies 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology • Deliver lectures online, simulcast live and recorded • Greater flexibility for students • Allows multiple campuses to “share” content

41. Additional Strategies 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology • Some lab components can be optional for non-majors • “Refresher” students may not need the additional hand-on time within class • Non-majors can put a “toe in the water” with a smaller commitment • Schedule open lab hours • Greater flexibility for students • Improved productivity of lab hours

42. AM Session – Question 5 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology How do we address the (lack of) textbook problem?

43. Texts remain out of date: Teach unneeded material Don't include new material Coverage skewed from reality Author issues: Dated authors, little or no recent industry exp. Still want to make engineers out of technicians (e.g. excessive analysis and design) 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology

44. No texts providing a systems approach as recommended by industry. A good textbook still needed as the basis for each course. High cost of textbooks. No industry involvement. Students are not good readers. The TV/Internet generation does not do books, newspapers, etc. 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology

45. Step 1: What are new program goals, technician jobs or engineering tech transfers? Demand updates from publishers/authors. Reject current texts. Tell publishers why. Recommend changes and additions desired. 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology Potential Textbook Solutions

46. Involve industry. (Reviewers, panels, etc.) Demand industry authors or co-authors. Ask for lower cost books with soft covers and little or no color. 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology Potential Textbook Solutions

47. Supplement existing texts to update. Collect or create your own supplements. Use available supplements (Work-Ready Electronics from MATEC) Use materials from the Internet 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology Non-Textbook Solutions

48. Instructors tend to get locked into a single book as lectures are tied it. Hate to change or make new notes. New books drastically revised and updated from the previous editions are uncomfortable to some instructors. Fear loss of old dated material they still teach. Fear work to revise and update lecture notes and presentation materials. 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology Instructor Issues

49. Instructors select books they like and that may not be best for students. (e.g. Readability, etc.) 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology Instructor Issues

50. Initiate change. Act rather than reacting. In textbooks committees, demand justification for recommendations. If you keep doing the same old thing you will get the same old result. 21ST Century Curriculum for Electronics Technology You Are in Control