A Different First Course in Electrical Engineering

Conference PaperTraditional introductory courses in electrical engineering are typically circuit theory courses, which may include both analog and digital hardware and possibly software. The alternatives have focused on how to teach (using discrete-time signals rather than analog) than on what to teach. We developed a top-down course sequence that uses as its underlying principle the transmission and manipulation of information. Students are given a broad perspective of both analog and digital approaches, with the goals of helping students appreciate electrical and computer engineering and framing a context for advanced courses. Laboratories stress construction of analog systems and analysis with signal processing tools