Basic Electrical Parameters Measurement Laboratory: A K-12 Outreach Project

A basic laboratory exercise was designed and implemented, for K-12 students, which delves into the measurement of basics of electrical circuit parameters, such as resistance, current and voltage. This 2-3 hour lab exercise gives students a glimpse into basic electrical engineering concepts, which are covered in an undergraduate Sophomore level introductory Circuits-1 course that all Electrical Engineering majors are required to take. Laboratory participants cover the same material, in a small amount of time that the undergraduate students cover in 2-3 weeks. The lab exercise also includes an interactive exercise that helps students understand decimal to binary conversion for unsigned and signed decimal numbers via a tool already being used as part of interactive digital logic laboratory experience. In addition, students try their skill in generating power, under varying load conditions, using a bike-power generator as a fun-filled competitive activity. This paper outlines the laboratory exercise learning outcomes, implemented laboratory exercises, observations made, and results of a conducted exit survey