FOR ANALOG ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT LABORATORY Vahé NERGUIZIAN 1, Radhi MHIRI 1, Maarouf SAAD 1, Hamdjatou KANE 2, Jean-Sébastien DESCHÊNES 3, Hamadou SALIAH-HASSANE 4 1 École de technologie supérieure 2 Université du Québec en Outaouais 3 Université du Québec à Rimouski 4 TÉLUQ

PLAN OF THE PRESENTATION  Objectives of FODAR project  Principle of  process description and resources  Implementation of the approach     Advantages, drawbacks, recommendations and conclusion FODAR: Academic Development Fund ‘Université du Québec’ Network Laboratory At distance communication and collaboration

OBJECTIVES OF FODAR PROJECT  To develop each student’s personal, professional and social qualities with the laboratory experiments  To facilitate students with a higher flexibility in scheduling the lab experiment time periods  To permit students in using more efficiently the ICT for laboratory experiments  To alleviate university's purchasing of highly cost equipment

PRINCIPLE (1) Miniaturized kit Software (Waveforms) Source AC Source DC Oscilloscope FFT Source Oscilloscope

PRINCIPLE (2) At distance In presence Collaboration with colleagues Instructor intervention

PROCESS (1)  Kits must be supplied by institution or be bought by students  Students must feel comfortable with computers and kit before starting the lab  Adequate preparation of documentation by Professor  Well defined procedure by Professor  (preparation for the experiment)  (experiment)  (finalisation of the report) Note: Sustainability of the kit

PROCESS (2)  (preparation for the experiment)  To take a virtual tour, ensuring that student masters basic prerequisites and discovers specific used hardware  (experiments)  Student will be connected in real time to the lab kit conducting remote experimentation. Time required for this stage is very critical and it must be minimized to allow all students handling experiments in turns  (finalisation of the report)  Student will analyze results and submit final report

RESOURCES  Appropriate miniaturized kit containing miniaturized equipment and the flexibility to create electric and electronic circuits through physical components  Appropriate efficient internet based communication interfaces to all users  Good information exchange and communication between students and laboratory instructor (documentation)

IMPLEMENTATION (1)  5 case study were created on different subjects related to diodes, Op-Amps and transistors  Pedagogical approach was used to describe each case study/experiment  Each team ensured the realization of the case study:  At distance from the kit (circuit components already mounted on the kit)  In presence with the kit (circuit components mounted by the team on the kit)  Link/bridge was created via internet with TeamViewer  The team was connected to the kit via internet (at distance or in presence with the kit)

IMPLEMENTATION (2)  Experiment initiator can give control to other colleagues. They can manipulate with the complete set-up alive in real time and both can observe changes brought during the manipulation  Team manipulated with the circuit parameters and observed the variations (amplitude and frequency variation, …)  Each case study of 45 minutes maximum was elaborated by students during project based approach laboratory session of 4 hours  consolidates the theoretical knowledge seen in the class

IMPLEMENTATION (3) In presence with the kit At distance from the kit

IMPLEMENTATION (4) Theory in class (ppt, video, examples) Project based approach Laboratory Case study Consolidate Knowledge Consolidate Competences Pedagogical Approach

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL  Kit already populated with components at ETS  Experiment initiator at ETS gives control to other national and international colleagues  Example of passive filter response  Effect of:  Input frequency change  Input amplitude change  Other changes (waveform, etc.)  They can manipulate with the complete set-up alive in real time and all parties can observe changes brought during the manipulation

ADVANTAGES  For students Bring student’s motivation in apprenticeship Permit students to become more autonomous in creating new ideas Sensitize and consolidate student’s scientific and professional responsibility Permit students having flexible schedule, better organization and planning  For the Professor/laboratory instructor Create a satisfaction/motivation to support students with advanced ICT Permit better online communication between students/Professor/lab instructor Allow a better follow up of student difficulties and advancement by the Professor/laboratory instructor.  For the academic institution Reduce purchasing of high costly equipment Liberate some physical space in the lab Allow students and instructors to use efficiently ICT tools Have institutional visionary approach and follow the 21th century ICT trend.

DRAWBACKS  For students No touch with real heavy equipment Psychologically used for classical approach With new approach defensive and rejection Removal human contact between students and laboratory instructors Students like to learn from errors made by their colleagues Communication difficulties between the colleagues due to Internet Reducing student’s retention if approach seen negative by them More time demanding from student  For the Professor/laboratory instructor Disturbing Professor/lab instructor classical mentality More time demanding for Professor

RECOMMENDATIONS  Communication link very important for the success of  Degradation of quality of pins on the kit due to misappropriate usage by students (verification)  Good prepared documentation  Consideration of students’ profile  Completely different instructor role. Change of philosophy

CONCLUSION  Full mobility of laboratory experiments at distance or at home  Collaborative work supported to improve effectiveness of learning  experience can show (student)  Increased autonomy  Good communications and e-cooperation  Increase creativity and motivation  Advancement knowledge and competences.  pilot project (ELE200 course) outcome:  Well prepared documentation (+++)  Students are motivated and satisfied (+++)  Time consuming for students (---)  Encouraging pilot project experimental initial results. Further experiments will permit enhancement of concept  Particular attention is given pedagogical approach using the Problem Based Learning (PBL) approach reinforced by description of authentic industrial problem and supported by laboratory miniaturized tools or kits