Abstract:

The paper reports an experimentation driven and improved since three years in an Institute of Technology. The question of students in maths lectures was on how and where the theoretical results can be applied in electrical engineering application. Conversely in electronics lectures they are asking for more fundamentals applications to carry out the purposes and intent. One answer could be the weaving of maths and electronics in a common application. Since many years the teachers are applying their domain with high level calculators, computer algebraic software and programming languages. These wide and common skills and knowledge have made this multidisciplinary experiment possible. The micro controller based device has been chosen here for its connection with high level programming language with an access to the processor registers and its versatility in industrial uses.

The article details the teachings experiences in that environment. Each year the experience has been completed fulfilling the following points: the general organisation, the teachings and practices, the feedback and recommendations. The students are taking the second grade course of bachelor of technology in the electrical engineering domain either in a full time course or in a part time course. The syllabus of the bachelor of technology in electrical engineering domain mentions theoretical and practical works on how to design, install, realize, maintain and qualify an electronic device for a control process of a multi-technological product.

The practical studies and realization are dealing with a blinking led and a keypad manager. The working class spread on twelve weeks with four hours a week. The classroom is composed of twelve students split in units of two students. The group is guided and mentored by two teachers at any time. This gives the students a new approach of the electrical engineering teachings. They must perform the required activities based on the mixed teachings.

The yearly module is composed of ten percent of short lectures plus five percent of assessments and the rest in lab works. The classroom architecture must not be neglected in that experimentation. The room is divided in two parts. A U-shape set of tables for the lectures and a system of individual equipment fixed to the walls. The structure simplifies the teacher’s motions in front of the group or behind each platform. The typical geometry of the U-shaped classroom avoids chatting and stimulates the concentration of students. Note that is causing some students stress as mentioned in their final recommendation. For practical work, two students are sharing the same individual platform, freeing them from the previous constraints, supporting the discussion with their peers and revealing their autonomy.

All works and new skills have to be validated by short assessments, report and efficient achievement. The behavior of students and events are also checked by the teachers at any time in order to give an added value to the expected skills in the syllabus. At the course end, the students are invited to fulfill a questionnaire. The questionnaire is pointing on the organization, the time schedule, the difficulties and comments on the weaving of different sciences.

The article ends with the recommendation coming from the students experience and the regular teachers feedback adapting the lessons in real time. This experimentation has been successful for years and is going on.

Keywords:

Multidisciplinary, technology, micro-controller, blended learning, sharing know-how.