A more effective teaching
environment can be achieved when a single instructor is assigned both the
lecture and all the associated lab sections for a given course. This permits
the lecture and laboratory experience to be all the more closely intertwined.
For example, brief introductions to lab material can be presented in lecture.
A lab recap can be presented in class after the lab. This can reinforce the
lab experience significantly. It permits the instructor to explain
observations, or any surprises encountered in the lab, in the context of
lecture material.
This approach also affords the
instructor a significant degree of flexibility. The instructor can dynamically
adjust the ordering and scope of lab experiments during the quarter. The mix
of laboratory and homework assignments can also be fine-tuned, and optimized
to best reinforce the learning objectives.
With limited resources, some
changes would be necessary in order to make this style of teaching environment
possible. Class sizes would have to be adjusted. One possibility is to set a
limit of 32 students. This would be an improvement for most EE lectures. The
32 students could fill two lab rooms, at 2 students per group. Two per group
would also be an improvement, for most EE lab courses. In order to not overly
burden the instructor, it is proposed that both lab sections would be offered
simultaneously in adjoining rooms. Openings with folding doors have been
installed in rooms 20-146 through 20-149 that allow the instructor, along with
a grad student assistant free access to both lab rooms.
