Creating an ECE Curriculum Combining Theory with Experiments and Research

Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University, Blacksburg VA

Investigators

Abstract

A project will plan to renovate the common core curriculum (currently nine courses) that leads to the BSEE and BSCpE degrees at Virginia Tech. Approximately 900 undergraduates students, split roughly 50:50 between the two degree programs will be affected. Throughout the development of the new curriculum, two goals will be addressed. First, the curriculum will be technically solid and logically organized to guide a large number of students through both degree tracks, each with a wide range of spe-cializations. Second, known and tested pedagogical methodologies, as well as the concept of "Learning Communities" that will assist in providing a more common background for entering students, will be in-troduced to assure equal opportunities for a diverse student body and to encourage excellence of learning, regardless of the student's learning style. Support for these tasks will be provided by the Center for Excel-lence in Undergraduate Teaching and by the University Honors Program. Successful development of the proposed core curriculum will enhance the VT infrastructure for research and education by attracting out-standing women and under-represented minorities to the ECE Department and it will provide the oppor-tunity for all students entering the Department to improve their academic performance by providing a common background before they begin the more analytical courses in the core curriculum and by empha-sizing pedagogical methodologies that addresses multiple learning styles throughout the core curriculum.