Our collective experience in comparing the results of teaching three courses using a variety of flipped classroom formats and the traditional format showed no compelling improvement of student learning results using the flipped format. Specifically, comparison of student outcomes in the form of grades does not show a consistent difference between a flipped classroom environment and a traditional teaching environment.The results we observed have made us aware of the need to be more systematic in the pedagogy pursued to determine how we can improve student learning. The process of teaching, regardless of traditional or flipped, is a dynamic one, dependent on a number of variables, the impact of which are not always readily discernable. Hence, "testimonials' regarding the success of flipped courses can range widely, possibly all true to some degree, but may need further investigation.It is our contention that student engagement outside the classroom is the most crucial element in the learning process. If a flipped classroom format does not provide effective student engagement outside of the classroom, flipping will simply be a different process in comparison to the standard lecture format, and there is no reason to expect improved student learning results. Hence, a key issue is whether a flipped format increases such engagement. If that were to happen, the flipped format has the potential to yield improved results. For us this is the key item that warrants further study. Each of the three courses discussed had previously been taught in a traditional lecture format by the same instructor. Our results were very positive in terms of student reactions. Most students strongly preferred the flipped format. But from an impact standpoint the grades earned were reasonably similar between the flipped and standard delivery modes. The reason for that, in our opinion, is that the level of student engagement outside the classroom did not materialize to the degree necessary.

To date, the electrical engineering education literature has presented the Digilent Analog Discovery board with a focus on usage in lower-level circuits courses and as merely a low-cost replacement for bench-top signal generators and oscilloscopes. This work broadens the domain of the Analog Discovery board beyond introductory courses, and demonstrates its use as a powerful educational tool for junior and senior level coursework. By utilizing its full suite of measurement features, sophisticated laboratory experiments are possible in courses such as electromagnetics, digital signal processing, signals and systems, communication systems, and control systems. In addition, its inherent mobility allows insightful in-class demonstrations and "lab-like" activities to be incorporated into theory-focused courses that otherwise do not have a lab, an impossible feat with traditional anchored, expensive laboratory equipment. In this paper, the unique measurement features of the Analog Discovery that are especially appropriate for upper-level courses are detailed, such as the network analyzer and spectrum analyzer modes. Selected demonstrative lab experiments from upper-division courses at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) are then presented. Emphasis is placed on how these experiments are both enabled by the Analog Discovery board as well as constrained by the performance limits of the board, such as limited frequency response and power supply rails. As a result, careful experiment design is shown to be critical to the classroom success of these projects.

(MSOE). Formerly, he held engineering and managerial positions in the telecommunications industry. He received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Marquette University in 1997 and is a Professional Engineer registered in the State of Wisconsin. Dr. Kelnhofer teaches courses in communication systems, signal processing, and information and coding theory.

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Formerly, he held engineering and managerial positions in the telecommunications industry. He received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Marquette University in 1997 and is a Professional Engineer registered in the State of Wisconsin. Dr. Kelnhofer teaches courses in communication systems, signal processing, and information and coding theory.

This paper proposes a new search process incorporated into an Operator-Oriented Genetic Algorithm (GA). The new search algorithm solves problems in the context of invertible symbolic operations on a combinational finite state environment. The algorithm exploits the GA's ability to search for solutions without regard to a priori knowledge of the problem domain. The validity of the'algorithm is illustrated by solving Rubik's Cube.

Impact of a First and Second Year Culminating Experience on Student Learning in an Electrical Engineering Curriculum AbstractThis paper presents findings from an impact study of a lower division student experience within an undergraduate electrical engineering curriculum. This experience, culminating in the second year of the curriculum, is integrated across multiple first and second year courses and includes elements commonly found in senior-level capstone project courses. An introductory programming course utilizing an embedded platform is the first course in the sequence. The final course in the sequence requires students to design, build, and test an autonomous mobile robot. Through a series of milestones, students systematically complete both the hardware and embedded software tasks required for the project. The final milestone involves an industrysponsored event where the entire student cohort participates in a robot competition.For a number of years, anecdotal evidence has suggested that the course sequence has significant positive impacts on student experience throughout the curriculum. It has been postulated that this experience results in significant knowledge gain, reinforces their decision to pursue a career in electrical engineering, and builds camaraderie amongst the student cohort. A study was conducted to better understand these potential impacts. Part 1 of the study analyzed grades in the project course sequence and compared them to another course sequence that also occurs in the first and second year of the curriculum. Part 2 was a survey in which students and recent graduates were asked a variety of questions regarding the impact of the experience on other courses, on their competency in curricular outcomes, and on their overall experience within the academic program. This paper describes the course structure, the current implementation which has evolved over many years of offerings, and presents results indicating its impact on student performance and learning in the remainder of the curriculum.

Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) Department at Milwaukee School of Engineering. He has over 25 years of engineering experience across the corporate, government, and university sectors specializing in: engineering design, electromechanical systems, sensor technologies, power electronics and digital signal processing. His professional activities include: program chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Division of the American Society for Engineering Education; chair of a new IEEE program on Early Career Faculty Development; editorial board of IEEE/HKN The Bridge magazine; and ABET EAC program evaluator.