A blended, on-campus & at-home, approach to academic projects on electronic circuits

Abstract—This paper provides insight into the effectiveness of combining conventional laboratory classes in electronics with individual project assignments that require physical implementation and characterization of real-life circuits. All third-year students attending the course on Systems with Analog Integrated Circuits (SwAIC) at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca are required to complete a project that involves design and simulation-based verification and characterization of an individualized Analog Front-End. This year, a group of students was offered the option to perform an additional task: physical implementation, verification and de-bugging of their circuits by using a low-cost take-home experimental kit. Prior to taking their final exam, all students were asked to fill in a questionnaire regarding the SwAIC course and the direction they intend to develop their career in. Students who performed the physical implementation of circuits they designed were asked additional questions on their experience with this approach to the SwAIC project. Students’ answers are presented and analysed along with objective evaluation results extracted from their academic records.