Minutes 9/27/2021

Date

Sept 27, 2021

Attendees

A. Aggarwal, J. Allen, U.K. Bhowmik, S. Bogdanov, Z. Cheng, P. Dragic, K. Driggs-Campbell, M. Hasegawa-Johnson, R. Iyer, N. Kani, J. Kim, E. Kudeki, K. Levchenko, S. Lumetta, S. Mitra, T. Moon, C. Radhakrishnan, U. Ravaioli, J. Schuh.

Minutes

The entire meeting was dedicated to a discussion on the use of remote laboratory kits and whether their use should be continued once the COVID pandemic restrictions can be lifted. 

Jose Schutt-Aine kicked off the meeting by discussing the virtual labs for ECE 453 “Wireless Communication” (Fall 2020, Fall 2021) and ECE 451 “Automated Microwave Measurements” (Spring 2021).  He illustrated the efforts to replace the use of expensive professional equipment with low cost peripherals.  One of the issues discussed was the need for additional troubleshooting of the alternative cheaper equipment because it is in general harder to operate, although it was also noted that such a process can be a valuable learning experience for the students as well.  A robust conversation followed, with various instructors commenting on the experience in their courses and the need to maintain remote engagement with the less motivated students.  The use of additional videos was discussed, with mixed opinions on their effectiveness. 

Casey Smith gave also a presentation  outlining the effort which was devoted to support the preparation and distribution of laboratory kits during the pandemic, with a breakdown of basic costs.  There was a follow-up discussion on the possibility to develop kits which can be useful for several courses, thus avoiding duplication for cost savings.  Since some of our offerings are also service courses for other majors (e.g., ECE 110) it was also noted that we would need to have different types of such kits, depending on whether a student takes only an isolated ECE lab course or a sequence. 

Another issue concerns whether it is better to provide kits which the students check out and return or which they acquire to keep.  There is a cost associated with checking, testing, and refreshing kits to replace missing or broken parts.  A check out process is suitable for the more expensive items but not for relatively cheap or expendable items.  Organizationally it is a big challenge to maintain and inventory large number of kits.

An opinion voiced by several members is that when students have access to laboratory kits there is added flexibility in the courses.  Students may be able to perform simpler tasks on their own and spend more quality time in the in-person laboratory.  One of issue reported for completely virtual experiences is the more limited access to TAs and the fact that success in the course depends more heavily on the students’ accountability and self-motivation.  These problems would be alleviated by a hybrid model combining carefully remote and in-person components.  It was in general commented that additional kit material is very beneficial, that having students access kits in advance is pedagogically important, and that it is equally important to maintain a strong in-person component to maintain the quality of laboratories which is a hallmark of engineering education at Illinois.

The most crucial aspect remains the cost of extending the use of kits.  For this to happen we have to develop internally efficient processes (ordering, inventory, distribution, recovery).  Careful consideration needs to be given to a fair distribution of the additional costs, since it is not considered acceptable to pass on the expense to the students.  More discussion on the topic will follow in future meetings.