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Session 2247

Bridging the Gap Between Instructor and Textbook

Stephanie Goldberg Department of Technology Buffalo State College

Abstract

An engineering-level text was introduced in an electronics course and a linear analog circuits course at the junior/senior level of a four-year Bachelor of Technology program. The book was chosen for its scope, currency, and practical input. Students were alerted up front about the level of difficulty of the book as well as of its strengths. In this paper, we explore a means of providing students with support and guidance to work with a higher level of textbook. The goal is to develop a structure allowing an advanced book to be used in a Technology program.

1. Introduction

With technology changing at lightning speed, textbook selection must be based on providing a broad range of material, currency, practical input, and the provision of a foundation for continued technical growth. A textbook was found that satisfies these criteria for two courses in the four- year Bachelor of Technology program at Buffalo State College. The textbook, however, is written to an engineering student audience. A plan to acclimate a Bachelor of Technology class to an engineering-level text is presented in this paper. The key feature of this plan is a hypertext database containing an information file for each section (of each chapter) of the textbook. The file directs the student to key equations and portions of the section, identifies subsections that are not required, and provides additional explanations where needed. The files in the database have been developed for students to use in conjunction with their reading assignments. The files follow closely with the textbook and provide a guide for the students to organize their studies and help master the required material. The files are accessible to students through the school computer or through the Internet.

The targeted courses are an introduction to electronics and a linear analog circuits course, both required in the Bachelor of Technology, Electronics Option at Buffalo State College. With MOSFET-based designs in integrated circuit technology and numerous applications involving discrete power switching, electronics students must develop a good understanding of MOSFET operation and parameters. In the linear course, students are expected to develop enough insight about op amps to make proper component selections and circuit design/modifications based on practical limitations. Though the selected textbook contains mathematical derivations and some details involving solid state physics, it was chosen for its thorough and practical treatment of MOSFETs and op amps. The textbook seems ideal to provide the required material, and it has enough continuity to ignore rigorous derivations when appropriate. For example, the

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Goldberg, S. (1998, June), Bridging The Gap Between Instructor And Textbook Paper presented at 1998 Annual Conference, Seattle, Washington. 10.18260/1-2--6942