Basic Microelectronics Self Instructor

Abstract

The re-organization of the Italian university system caused the need for new forms of teaching. The worker-student, for example, needs to conciliate his available time with the study. New universities, located far from the original center, don’t have a local teaching staff. The “continuous learning initiative” [1] uses videotapes to teach basic and advanced electronics to adults. All these approaches suffer from the same problem: these students don’t have a university structure available for their requirements. They don’t have the possibility to remove a doubt by means of an assistant, they don’t have the books you can find in a library, they don’t have data sheets for electronic components, and so on. In a few words: they don’t have an assistant available during their learning period.

New multimedia technologies can open up new horizons for education. Everyone in his own personal computer can easily use a CD-ROM. Hyper textual techniques can help to organise new approaches to a book reading. Recorded voices can stimulate the student attention. Animations can better explain some electronic aspects. CAD tools can be used as virtual laboratories.

This paper presents an approach we are experimenting with the first level of degree (diploma) of Electrical Engineering in the Politecnico of Alessandria, Italy.