Student Feedback Session 11/28/2012
Attendance: estimated 60 undergraduate students with about 60% freshman
Professors present: Waleed Meleis, Ali Abur, Gunar Schirner, David Kaeli, David Potter
Courses
EECE 3326 - Optimization Methods
-
extremely positive feedback “that’s how the programming courses should be”
Well-paced course and interesting, material presented very relevant to ECE
Suggestions: less emphasis on Quizzes in light of high load for homework and projects
o Some students may not do too well in the paper-based programming quiz questions
Algorithms and Data Structures
-
Relevant knowledge for data structures
Algorithms not always applicable, however good example “gradient search”
Computer Architecture
-
Instructor is difficult to understand (English)
Student’s find topic hard and challenging. Instructor interprets slides during class, which confuses students.
Effect is compounded by the difficulty to understand.
Student comments that large portion of class falls behind
Electronics (Onabajo)
-
Extremely positive comment: “On the edge of my seat”. Student reported to be extremely engaged in the
class.
Electronics II
-
Students would like to see lab component,
o currently examples all run on paper or in simulation.
Current teaching method (although perfected for many years) is not engaging enough.
Digital Logic Design
-
Difference between sections of same class.
o One section has lecture consistently behind lab component. Student are asked to start the lab (by a
week) before the actual topics are introduced in lecture. This confuses students.
 This problem has been observed in earlier years.
o Another section (different instructor) has lecture and lab well in sync.
Discrete Math & Digital Logic Design
-
Student comments very positively on taking both courses concurrently. Subjects nicely integrate with each
other and enhance the learning:
“I am impressed how these two courses are in sync”
GE1111
-
-
Experience varies by section (by instructor)
Section 1
o Student comment on too much insistence on esthetics of reporting (formatting the report), rather
than learning about design principles. This was echoed by many students in the room (large
freshman percentage)
o Junior student however commented positive: “it gave me the rules that I still follow now”
o Student report on disconnect between lecture material and test (exam).
o Too much emphasis on Excel
Section 2
o Too much focus on a “sustainable environment”, largely project focused and students have to
discover mostly by themselves.
High Tech Tools & Toys Lab
-
One section reported too little C++ coverage. Most emphasis only on Matlab programming, then C++
portion rushed.
Circuits and Signals (Pilot)
-
-
-
Positive comment on integration between subjects, allows student to see how ECE subjects are integrated
and play together. Also allows finding own niche (two students who very much liked the class had opposite
preferences while one was intrigued by circuits aspect, the other suggested more signals content.
Would like to see more of an embedded programming aspect instead of only programming on Matlab.
Performing signal analysis on the PAL platform would be very nice. Then, students can take the
experiment home to (a) show, and (b) further experiment.
One student missed coverage of Laplace transforms and is concerned about needing it
Linear Systems
-
Would like to see a more practical connection
E.g. through Matlab usage or some lab component
General Feedback / Questions
Desires for new courses?
-
Math electives for Linear Algebra, and Differential Equation
COE Windows Computers
-
COE Windows computers are too slow, e.g. in Snell 268
o “I don’t even go there anymore”
o Assumption: too long startup time due to loading the profile.
New combined majors?
-
Computer Engineering / Mechanical Engineering (CEME)
o Robotics
Open House?
-
EE open house too much research oriented. Students want to see more connection to what they really will
be doing (classes and future jobs).
ECE day
o Did not reach too many u-grad students, mostly populated by grad students
o Suggestion: better advertisement
 Husky email
 Facebook
 ECE Website with calendar (so that students can subscribe to the calendar as a feed).