AN INNOVATIVE TEACHING APPROACH TO I AND II KIRCHHOFF’S LAWS ON MOODLE PLATFORM

The School of Electrical and Computer Engineering of Applied Studies in Belgrade, Serbia, offers the opportunity for students to implement the knowledge gained in lectures for laboratory hardware exercises. The method of these laboratory hardware exercises represents a big step forward as it combines the simultaneous execution of hardware exercise, the checking of measured values with multimeter and the comparative analysis of the measured values and the values obtained from the software performance on the Moodle platform. Thanks to an app built on the Moodle platform, students have the opportunity to visualize the I and II Kirchhoff’s laws, as well as the mutual dependence of the size of the resistors, the amperage of the resistor’s current and the voltage between the corresponding points in the electric circuit. While performing laboratory exercises, students will use the Moodle platform to familiarize themselves with the principles of the I and the II Kirchhoff’s laws, as well as with the application and significance of the procedure of solving both simple and complex electric circuits with direct and alternating currents. The introduction is followed by a practical assignment where students ought to connect the elements of the electric circuit according to the given image (circuit diagram) and measure the required electrical value with the oscilloscope or multimeter. Students ought to enter the measured value into the field “Your answer”. If the answer is correct, the measured electrical value between given points will be visually reflected on the electric circuit diagram. If the answer is incorrect, i.e. if the measured value is not correct, the app will deliver an output stating that the electrical value has not been measured correctly and it will point out possible oversights made while connecting or measuring the electrical circuit. After entering a new, correct answer students will continue with the exercise, guided by both hardware and software elements of the exercise. Upon measuring and entering correct electrical values, students will access a Moodle platform page where they should give a correct answer to a question that is resulting from the previous activity of a combined hardware and software exercise. The correct answer, i.e. the conclusion, represents the sublimation of knowledge obtained from the exercise. Only then, obtained knowledge can be considered efficient and sustainable. This is how students gain knowledge in an efficient and easy way and it is knowledge in a basic field that is very important for future electrical engineers of the applied studies formed in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering of Applied Studies in Belgrade, Serbia