Teaching abstract electronics concepts to students can be challenging. They often become frustrated by their inability to make the connection between theoretical models and real world application. This often drives them to avoid exploration of STEM-related careers, such as electrical engineering, because the subject is perceived as too difficult to learn. Through hands-on projects and digital simulation tools, you can get students excited, engaged and learning. Here are a few suggestions to help get you started:
Fun Projects
Jump right in with hands-on activities that provide real world applicability. Kids have amazing imaginations and if you tap into their creative energies, you will keep them interested. What about building a simple circuit using a 9V battery and light bulb? Or have them bring in broken electronics or toys and try to figure out why they don’t work? Keep it simple, fun, and engaging; build up their confidence and knowledge and then tackle more difficult concepts.
Use Simulations
Once you’ve had fun creating and destroying a few hands-on electronics projects, take the next step and use an interactive digital simulation tool like Autodesk Circuits Electronics Lab. This free browser-based set of tools allows students to quickly and easily drag, drop, and connect components to simulate circuits. Simulations can help to demystify complex and abstract concepts by providing real-time feedback.
Tap into free learning tools
There is an endless amount of free electronics resources available for use with all grade levels that include step-by-step, easy to follow projects, pre-packaged curriculum, and inexpensive hardware kits. Here are a few well-known and respected websites for you to explore:
Autodesk Circuits
Instructables
Sparkfun
Adafruit
Bring in guest speakers
Invite guest speakers into your classroom whose professional backgrounds reflect the topics you're teaching. For example, have an electrical engineer onsite to explain the Internet of Things (IoT), how electronic sensors are at the center of the phenomenon, and how a totally interconnected future might look like for them. This offers students a direct connection between what they are learning and real world application. It also offers insight into what a career in electrical engineering may look like, including the types of projects they may work on, academic experience needed, career progression, etc. It gives a fresh perspective to the topic.
Seeking out funding opportunities
If you want to equip your classroom with electronics hardware and software but don’t have the budget, check out DonorsChoose.org. DonorsChoose is a non-profit organization that believes in helping public school teachers help students learn. Through their online portal, you can setup your classroom “project” to help get funding for materials. To date, over 758,306 projects have been funded and 19,062,494 students reached!
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