Syllabus for ELT-490

ELECTRONICS ASSESSMENT/CAREER PLANNING

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Electronics Assessment/Career Planning is an in-depth, student-centered activity that requires electronics engineering technology self-diagnostic assessment, the integration of research in current electronics employment, the development of a comprehensive curriculum vitae, practical career planning, interviewing strategies, and the application of advanced math concepts to electronics engineering technology situations. Students will participate in career-focused activities that include building a curriculum vitae or professional résumé and knowing how to interview successfully. The knowledge and skills acquired in this course are directly applicable to students who are seeking a job, a promotion, or moving to a new skill area.

COURSE TOPICS

1. Self-diagnostic assessment of topics pertinent to Electronics Engineering Technology

1. Employment trends and opportunities in the electronics technology industry

1. Curriculum vitae/professional résumé
2. Behavioral interview
3. Applied differential equations and advanced problem solving

1. Comprehensive capstone exam related to Electronics Engineering Technology

COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing this course, you should be able to:

1. Review the TAC/ABET accreditation outcomes, apply them to the needs of electronics technology employment, and draw conclusions about student readiness based on the self-diagnostic assessment.
2. Develop effective professional curricula vitae/résumés based on past and current work learning/experiences related to the EET student outcomes.
3. Demonstrate proficiency in researching employment opportunities in the emerging electronics technology industry.
4. Research, interpret, and critically analyze literature and resources dealing with behavioral-based interviewing.
5. Communicate effectively to peers and other audiences using correct English and including appropriate graphical presentations.
6. Describe ways to function effectively as a leader and team member with an understanding of key issues such as cultural diversity.
7. Develop an inclusive skill inventory vitae that will serve as a bridge to future work and lifelong learning.
8. Develop increased proficiency in solving problems in electronics engineering technology using applied differential equations and advanced mathematical problem solving.
9. Conduct a self-diagnostic assessment of topics pertinent to Electronics Engineering Technology to identify knowledge strengths and potential areas of knowledge improvement.
10. Complete a comprehensive capstone exam that will allow for confidential feedback of knowledge strengths and potential areas of knowledge improvement.

COURSE MATERIALS

There are no textbooks required for the course.

Internet resources are included in each module for recommended readings and points to start Web searches for supporting information.

COURSE STRUCTURE

Electronics Assessment/Career Planning is a three-credit online course, consisting of six (6) modules. Modules include an overview, topics, learning objectives, study materials, and assignments. Module titles are listed below.

1. Module 1: Self-Diagnostic Assessment of Topics on the SME EET Exam and ABET Outcomes
   Course objectives covered in this module: CO1, CO9
   
2. Module 2: Electronics Technology Employment Trends
   Course objectives covered in this module: CO3, CO5

3. Module 3: Building a Comprehensive Curriculum Vitae

Course objectives covered in this module: CO2, CO5, CO7

4. Module 4: Electronics Technology Comprehensive Capstone Exam and Feedback
   Course objectives covered in this module: CO10

5. Module 5: Behavioral Job Interviewing
   Course objectives covered in this module: CO4, CO5, CO6
   
6. Module 6: Advanced Math Problem Solving Including Applied Differential Equations and Feedback
   Course objectives covered in this module: CO8
   

ASSESSMENT METHODS

For your formal work in the course, you are required to complete two documented self-diagnostic assessments of Electronics Technology knowledge, participate in online discussion forums, complete written assignments, and take an online comprehensive capstone exam. See below for details.

Consult the course Calendar for assignment due dates.

Discussion Forums

You are required to participate in four (4) graded discussion forums. Discussion forums are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules. There is also an ungraded but required introduction forum in Module 1.

Written Assignments

You are required to complete three (3) written assignments and three (3) additional written activities. The written assignments include the following:

1. Written Assignment 1: Career Research. You are required to research careers available in the electronics engineering technology industry. You should use this assignment to help yourself focus on the areas that you find most interesting and that you may wish to pursue in your career planning.

2. Written Assignment 2: Curriculum Vitae. You are required to construct your own curriculum vitae, one that will make the best first impression on prospective employers (or on your current employer when applying for advancement).

3. Written Assignment 3: Response to Interview Questions. You are required to research interviewing and to prepare and practice for your own interview(s). You will submit individual responses to typical behavioral interview questions as a graded written paper.

The additional activities are described below:

4. Comprehensive Self-Diagnostic Assessments of Electronics Technology Knowledge and ABET Student Outcomes. You are required to complete two (2) self-diagnostic assessments of topics pertinent to Electronics Engineering Technology and the TESC/ABET student outcomes. These self-diagnostic assessments are for your use to determine areas that you should study further in preparation for the capstone exam in module 4 and for future career development.

5. Advanced Math Problem Solving. You are required to submit your responses to a ten-item math problem solving assignment using advanced mathematical concepts including applied differential equations. This assignment will be used as a refresher of, as well as an extension of, earlier coursework. In solving the problems, you will apply theoretical calculus in the electronics technology field.

Electronics Capstone Comprehensive Examination

You are required to take a proctored online capstone examination. It is the SME/IEEE exam on electrical and electronics engineering technology. The exam is an industry-normed assessment of your knowledge and skills as they relate to electronics engineering technology. Performing well on the exam will provide you with a valuable document to include in your employment portfolio.

The exam is three (3)  hours long and consists of one hundred twenty (120) multiple-choice questions. The exam is a comprehensive exam that covers the following electronics engineering technology areas:

1. Basic concepts of electricity
2. Alternating current (AC) circuit concepts
3. Basic circuit analysis methods
4. Digital electronics
5. Analog electronics
6. Microcontrollers and microprocessors
7. Instrumentation and measurements
8. Practical laboratory skills

Careful coordination of the steps in taking the capstone exam  is critical to student success in this course.  Several reminders appear on the course Calendar.

1. The course mentor will provide the Society of Manufacturing Engineers’ (SME) Exam Administrator with the list of all students enrolled in the class by the end of week 1.
2. You are responsible for arranging to have an approved exam proctor available at the location of your choice to administer the exam. (See proctor guidelines below.) You must fill out and have your proctor sign the Proctor Form and Agreement. (All documents are found in the Resources area of the course site.) The form must be returned to the SME three weeks ahead of your planned exam date. This means you should submit it by the end of Week 4.
3. You are also responsible for submitting the EET Exam Order by the end of Week 4 of the course.

1. If you download and fill this out in hard copy, please scan it and attach it to an e-mail to Jill Stark at the SME at jstark@sme.org Send your payment separately, along with a hard copy of the application, to the mailing address on the Exam Order form. (Order form can be found in the Resources area of the course site.)
2. You may also complete the application and payment process online. First you will need to create a login. Once you have a login, go to the  SME Outcomes Assessment page, scroll down, and click “Click here to apply”

Important: Be sure that on page 2 of your application you have checked the box  “SME may release my certification exam score to my instructor/school.” If you fail to do this, you will not get credit for taking the exam, which is a requirement for passing this course.

4. You are responsible for paying the $80 EET Exam Fee to the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME).
5. Your course mentor will receive individual and group results from the exam by the end of Week 12 from the SME Test Administrator.
6. Your mentor will attach individual results to your gradebook record as evidence of completion of the capstone exam requirement.

The following are the only calculators that you are permitted to use for the exam:

1. Hewlett Packard: HP 33S or 35S
2. Casio: FX 115MSor FX 115MSPlus
3. Texas Instruments: T1 30X IIS
4. Texas Instruments: T1 36X Solar

Guidelines for Choosing a Proctor

The following links include guidelines for choosing a proctor. All choices are subject to the approval of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers:

1. Active Duty Military Students
2. Civilian Students

GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

1. Self-Diagnostic Assessments (2)—5%
2. Online discussions (4)—30%  
3. Written assignments (3)—55%
4. Advanced math problems—10%
5. Capstone exam—Mandatory for this course, but 0% of grade

Overall course evaluation will be based on the rubric created from TESC and ABET guidelines and approved student outcomes of the EET Program. (See the Rubrics area of the course Web site.)   All 12 student outcomes described in the rubric will be evaluated for each student.  The following five student outcomes will be evaluated in detail by the specific course objectives.

1. Student Outcome 1:  Demonstrate a fundamental mastery of the knowledge, techniques, skills and modern tools required for electronics and/or related fields.  

2. Student Outcome 2:  Demonstrate an ability to understand and apply current concepts in the areas of mathematics, science, engineering, and technology to problems / issues encountered using proper application of principles and applied procedures or methodologies.

3. Student Outcome 7: Demonstrate proficiency in oral, written, and graphical communications in a technical and non-technical setting utilizing standard English.  

4. Student Outcome 9:  Demonstrate the need for and commitment to engage in self-directed continuing professional development and lifelong learning in one’s discipline.  

5. Student Outcome 12: Demonstrate a commitment to quality, timeliness, and continuous improvement in professional activities.  

The remaining seven Student Outcomes will also be evaluated in this course, but at a more fundamental level based on the student’s individual performance in the class.

All assignments will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade, which is based on your performance as measured by the course rubric.  Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of D or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, etc.).

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success

To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

1. Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.
   
2. Take time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.
   
3. Familiarize yourself with the learning management systems environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.
   
4. If you are not familiar with Web-based learning be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Study Tips

Consider the following study tips for success:

1. To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the course Calendar. The Calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments, posting discussions, and scheduling and taking examinations.
   
2. Check Announcements regularly for new course information.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Students at Thomas Edison State College are expected to exhibit the highest level of academic citizenship. In particular, students are expected to read and follow all policies, procedures, and program information guidelines contained in publications; pursue their learning goals with honesty and integrity; demonstrate that they are progressing satisfactorily and in a timely fashion by meeting course deadlines and following outlined procedures; observe a code of mutual respect in dealing with mentors, staff, and other students; behave in a manner consistent with the standards and codes of the profession in which they are practicing; keep official records updated regarding changes in name, address, telephone number, or e-mail address; and meet financial obligations in a timely manner. Students not practicing good academic citizenship may be subject to disciplinary action including suspension, dismissal, or financial holds on records.

Academic Dishonesty

Thomas Edison State College expects all of its students to approach their education with academic integrity—the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception. All mentors and administrative staff members at the College insist on strict standards of academic honesty in all courses. Academic dishonesty undermines this objective. Academic dishonesty takes the following forms:

1. Cheating
2. Plagiarizing (including copying and pasting from the Internet without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources)
3. Fabricating information or citations
4. Facilitating acts of dishonesty by others
5. Unauthorized access to examinations or the use of unauthorized materials during exam administration
6. Submitting the work of another person or work previously used without informing the mentor
7. Tampering with the academic work of other students

Academic dishonesty will result in disciplinary action and possible dismissal from the College. Students who submit papers that are found to be plagiarized will receive an F on the plagiarized assignment, may receive a grade of F for the course, and may face dismissal from the College.

A student who is charged with academic dishonesty will be given oral or written notice of the charge. If a mentor or the College official believes the infraction is serious enough to warrant referral of the case to the academic dean, or if the mentor awards a final grade of F in the course because of the infraction, the student and the mentor will be afforded formal due process.

If a student is found cheating or using unauthorized materials on an examination, he or she will automatically receive a grade of F on that examination. Students who believe they have been falsely accused of academic dishonesty should seek redress through informal discussions with the mentor, through the office of the dean, or through an executive officer of Thomas Edison State College.

Plagiarism

Using someone else’s work as your own is plagiarism. Although it may seem like simple dishonesty, plagiarism is against the law. Thomas Edison State College takes a strong stance against plagiarism, and students found to be plagiarizing will be severely penalized. If you copy phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or whole documents word-for-word—or if you paraphrase by changing a word here and there—without identifying the author, then you are plagiarizing. Please keep in mind that this type of identification applies to Internet sources as well as to print-based sources. Copying and pasting from the Internet, without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources, constitutes plagiarism. (For information about how to cite Internet sources, see Online Student Handbook > Academic Standards > “Citing Sources.”)

Accidentally copying the words and ideas of another writer does not excuse the charge of plagiarism. It is easy to jot down notes and ideas from many sources and then write your own paper without knowing which words are your own and which are someone else’s. It is more difficult to keep track of each and every source. However, the conscientious writer who wishes to avoid plagiarizing never fails to keep careful track of sources.

Always be aware that if you write without acknowledging the sources of your ideas, you run the risk of being charged with plagiarism.

Clearly, plagiarism, no matter the degree of the intent to deceive, defeats the purpose of education. If you plagiarize deliberately, you are not educating yourself, and you are wasting your time on courses meant to improve your skills. If you plagiarize through carelessness, you are deceiving yourself.