Developing Laboratory Courses in a Resource-Constrained Environment

Laboratory courses are an essential part of most engineering programs.The practical applications of engineering theory motivate student interest and enhance student learning of the subject matter.However, many laboratory courses have special requirements that can exceed the resources of small departments.At the University of Tulsa, the Electrical Engineering department contains a laboratory that has space and equipment for approximately twenty students.The room is used for microprocessor design and senior capstone design courses in the fall semester, and digital logic and electronics laboratory courses in the spring semester.Because the enrollment in these courses typically exceeds room capacity, we had to deviate from the traditional model for developing these laboratory courses.A traditional laboratory course is often scheduled for a three-hour time slot during the week, and students work on the assignments during this period.However, due to our resource constraints, we have modified this approach.To ease space constraints in the lab, assignments are "selfpaced" with specific deadlines.The lab is open all day during the week, and students may work on the assignments as time and space permits.Teaching assistants are available during scheduled office hours throughout the week for consultation and grading.This paper discusses the application of this approach to the development of specific laboratory courses.