Enhancing transistor circuit education through real-time demonstrations with analogue meters

Teaching transistor circuits is challenging, as students often memorize rules without grasping the dynamic, real-time relationships between co-varying currents and voltages. Traditional slides and simulations can fail to illustrate this temporal coupling. This paper investigates the pedagogical impact of using live, in-class demonstrations with real components and analogue meters to make these concepts tangible. We conducted a case study in an undergraduate second year analogue electronics module (N=26), using low-cost, custom-built demonstration boards for key BJT circuits. These demonstrations were projected via a visualiser, allowing students to observe the simultaneous, continuous needle movements of analogue meters displaying variables such as iB, iC, and vCE. Survey results revealed that 96% of students felt the demonstrations improved their understanding, with 77% preferring analogue meters to digital displays. Students reported that the meters' real-time feedback helped them "visualise the change," transforming abstract rules into observed phenomena. They cited an improved grasp of saturation, cut-off, and the necessity of correct DC biasing for AC amplification. We conclude that live demonstrations using analogue meters are a powerful, low-cost pedagogical tool that provides multi-modal feedback, effectively bridging the gap between theory and practice. The findings advocate for broader adoption of experiential methods in electronics education to produce deeper student engagement and understanding.<br/><br/><br/>