The Electrical and Computer Engineering department at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, has been developing and implementing a new teaching model called the “Laboratory Anywhere”, as highlighted in their Francis College of Engineering publication, “Engineering Solutions”.
The “Laboratory Anywhere” approach requires that student’s only work one week on the traditional bench-top equipment in the lab, and then allows students to use the Analog Discovery for all their other labs. This gives them the experience of working with traditional instruments, but provides the flexibility to do the majority of their labs wherever they need to. This allows students to do labs in the dining hall, dorm rooms, or even outside, while simultaneously giving them access to tools that aren’t even in the traditional lab.
Professor Jay Weitzen who has spearheaded the approach, says “It’s about taking the traditional laboratory model, in which a students go to the lab once or twice a week and spend a few hours using the lab’s test equipment, and bringing it to a new level wherein students are given the freedom and flexibility to work on their projects practically anywhere, on or off campus. While the Analog Discovery module may look unimpressive, its capabilities and how it can transform engineering education is unlimited. It gives student the tools to innovate and create independently.”
Using portable instrumentation has advantages for the institution as well. Instead of having the labs in a Electrical Engineering specific laboratory, labs can be held in any computer lab or open classroom area, decreasing equipment, and staffing costs. Department surveys from the University of Massachusetts Lowell are showing higher student satisfaction. According to Weitzen, “Students clearly had fun and enjoyed coming to lab. The increased hands-on experience directly benefited the students in obtaining internships, co-ops and technical summer jobs.”
For more information about the Analog Discovery 2 go to AnalogDiscovery.com or it’s resource center. If you are doing something awesome with the Analog Discovery 2, share with us on social media or comment below.
