Combining Real-World Examples in a Basic Electrical Engineering Course: : Students' Attitudes

At the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, an attempt was made to increase students' interest in the basic course Electric Circuit Theory in particular and in electrical engineering in general, by incorporating real-world examples into the curriculum. These examples reflect both the diverse fields of study in the Department of Electrical Engineering and electrical engineers' fields of occupation in the industry. The study described in the paper used qualitative tools to characterize the attitudes of seventy-two electrical engineering students toward the course in its new format (with the examples). According to the findings, the students believe that the contents of the course are relevant both to their studies in the program and for their future work as electrical engineers in the industry. In addition, the students find interest in the course and feel that the course cultivated their connection with both the Department and the profession.