Quality in the design and development of digital electronics practical tasks

International Journal of Electrical Engineering Education, Apr 2005 by Plaza, Inmaculada, Medrano, Carlos, Ub�, Mariano, Blesa, Alfonso

Abstract

The paper describes the use of two classical 'Tools of Quality' in digital electronics practical tasks, which allow the detection and continuous improvement of the educational method. Students obtain a work methodology which is based on quality and rigour, and which can be applied in their professional future.

Keywords electronics; laboratory; quality; training

In the present work, we investigate the use at universities of some of the classical Tools of Quality for educational purposes. The area of digital electronics practices has been chosen to apply the tools: specifically the second year of the first cycle of Telecommunications Engineering (electronic systems speciality).1

First, we briefly explain the course plan of these engineering studies and the needs recognised by the teaching team. Then, we present the objectives of the present paper and the proposed methodology. Results obtained and student opinions of the method are also given. Finally, we provide some conclusions, show the benefits of the research, and give guidelines for future activities.

Framework

This work has been developed for the first cycle of Telecommunication Engineering (electronic systems speciality). This course is given at the Polytechnic School of Teruel (University of Zaragoza, Spain). More information can be found at the web page: http://eupt.unizar.es (at this moment only in Spanish, English version is under construction).

The course plan of these studies2 determines that the goals of the educational process must be to assure the students develop the following attitudes and capacities:

* to detect and analyse technological problems;

* to design and develop projects to solve those problems;

* to adapt to a variable technological and professional environment;

* creativity;

* communication ability, information analysis and decision making.

The educational process used by the teachers should foment the student's analysis and decision making abilities. In this way, they should be able to adapt and solve technological problems they will face in their professional future, characterised by a continuous evolution.

Several needs can be deduced from the above arguments:

* Engineers must know a work methodology in order to allow them to develop the above abilities.

* This methodology will be the base of a work style characterised by its rigour and quality.

* The student will have to learn how to apply the methodology to different situations, such as those they will meet in their professional future.

Objectives and proposed methodology

The present work intends to cover the needs detailed in the previous paragraph. The main objective is to provide students with a methodology to manage all kinds of technological problems in a systematic, clear and rigorous way; the methodology should be adapted to teamwork and to professional applications.

The method proposed is student training in the use of Tools of Quality. Among the seven classical Tools of Quality3 (Check list, Histogram, Pareto Chart, Cause and Effect Diagram, Stratification and Scatter Diagram) we have chosen two: Pareto Chart4 and Cause and Effect Diagram5, the reason being that these two tools are easy to use, and are simple and versatile.

As the ideas of quality used to be explained in terms related to management or statistics, the present work has applied them to laboratory practices in digital electronics. In this way, we try to surprise the students with this interdisciplinary approach, which leads them to mix knowledge from two different areas (while students usually think they are isolated). We cause the student to think about the method as a global work style.

The process of application has been developed in the following steps:

1 Explanation to the students.

2 Data collection and analysis of the results obtained by the students.

3 Data combined and summaried by teachers.

4 Conclusions. Talk to the students.

Development and results

Explanation to the students

As a starting point, the objectives of the approach were explained to the students, paying attention to the usefulness of the method in their professional future. We proposed that the conclusions obtained would be the base for the students next year, starting in this way a process of continuous improvement in the subject. Thus, students become more involved in the educational process. Of course, student effort must have a reward: the work performed contributed 10% of the final mark (1 point).

The process includes the following steps: data collection by the students, data set combination and drawing conclusions by teachers and a final talk to the students. All steps were previously explained to the students as well as the method needed to apply the two chosen Tools of Quality.

Deadlines to finish every step were fixed. Everybody (students and teachers) were required fulfil these deadlines, as occurs in the work methodology of private companies, especially those working with a Quality System.

Data collection and analysis of the results by the students