In an inductive context, it is now far easier for the student to:
- use basic concepts conveyed by the textbook or standard lectures,
- vary them in subtle or extreme ways,
- and, see the effect not only on the numerical simulation output, but on the underlying mathematics as well.
This paper was authored by James Andrew Smith, PhD, PEng, Engineering Professor
Engineering instructors are typically restricted to a narrow range of simplified models that apply to both white-board lectures and hands-on labs. This is as true in a mechanical vibrations course as it is in electrical circuits or biomedical instrumentation courses.
More complex systems, which are more representative of reality, require more time or more advanced tools for derivation or understanding than is often available in an undergraduate curriculum.
This paper shows how this disconnect was addressed in an Engineering Instrumentation course. MapleSim, used in conjunction with traditional hands-on electronics lab activities, permits the students to explore the behavior of the systems of interest in an inductive learning manner more representative of natural everyday learning. To illustrate the inductive process taken by students, a typical example of examining temperature effects on a resistor and diode circuit is given.