Experiment-centric pedagogy - Improving the HBCU engineering student learning experience

A consortium of 13 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) has been collaborating for more than four years resulting in the implementation of experiment centric pedagogy (ECP) in over forty courses that involve circuits and electronics. ECP is enabled in this project through the use of mobile, inexpensive personal electronic instrumentation; usually Digilent's Analog Discovery (AD). ECP allows students with various learning styles to learn at their own pace and in their own environments by providing an alternative path to the acquisition of technical skills and knowledge both in the classroom and outside. Most of the courses addressed have been in the circuits and electronics sequence in electrical and computer engineering programs. Faculty involved in this effort has also used the same approach to support hands-on learning in introductory engineering courses, both focused on general engineering and specifically on introduction to ECE, in courses outside of ECE and in capstone design courses. This program was initiated and funding obtained because the group recognized that integrating hands-on learning is one of the key approaches that has been proven to be effective in improving retention by making the learning experience engaging and motivating for students. Results of internal and external evaluation has shown the introduction of AD board based ECP to be successful in a variety of instructional settings, instructional methodologies, and with diverse learning styles. This project has benefited from and inspired similar work by faculty at other universities who have been officially and unofficially affiliated with the 13 HBCUs. In this paper we will report on the immediate classroom impact of ECP on the engineering student as well as the long-term systemic experience at institutions both inside and outside the HBCU project.