Macroelectronics: A gateway to electronics education

Conventional approaches to teaching electronics and instrumentation emphasize microelectronics instead of providing a more general, systems-level approach. We have shifted the focus in the first electronics course from individual devices and circuits (microelectronics) to the system as a whole (what we term macroelectronics). Our preliminary experience with the concept was positive at our respective institutions; a grant ¹ allowed us to develop the approach more fully. The macroelectronics approach can be summarized as consisting of two primary elements: (i) treatment of topics chosen by the instructor-later complemented by topics derived from student projects, and (ii) utilization of a project-based learning environment to increase motivation, highlight important topics, and facilitate knowledge-integration. Materials developed to support the macroelectronics approach include an instructor's manual and a variety of exemplar project descriptions.