On the design and effectiveness of Simulink-based educational material for a communication systems course

Abstract

The methods used in engineering education have gained diversity in parallel with rapidly evolving technology. New technological methods along with the traditional methods have been adopted for undergraduate education. Today, Simulink-based educational materials are used in many fields in engineering education. However, in the literature, the contribution of such educational materials to the learning process has not been measured thoroughly. This study presents a comprehensive measurement method to improve the created course material and show the effectiveness of developed course material in students' success. First, educational material was developed for an undergraduate electrical engineering course: communication systems. A feedback group made up of diverse student learners was employed extensively in the material development phase. Next, the impact of the developed material on the success of the students was examined using both qualitative and quantitative measurement tools including questionnaires, one-to-one interviews, and class and university level anonymous surveys. This also included students' performance regarding laboratory quizzes and achievement of course learning outcomes. Overall, the measurement results show that the course material increased students' success in the course. Moreover, students' general perception of the course material was positive.