%0 Journal Article
%T The use of interactive lecture demonstrations to improve students¡¯ understanding of operational amplifiers in a tertiary introductory electronics course
%A A. Mazzolini
%A T. Edwards
%A W. Rachinger
%A S. Nopparatjamjomras
%J Latin-American Journal of Physics Education
%D 2011
%I Instituto Polit¨¦cnico Nacional, Latin American Physics Education Network
%X Students often have difficulty in understanding fundamental concepts in introductory electronics. For example, some of our students at Swinburne University have particular difficulty understanding operational amplifier (OPAMP) concepts. Many of these students try to memorize basic OPAMP circuit layouts and their associated ¡°voltage gain¡± equations without developing any deep understanding of how these circuits work. These students have difficulty analyzing circuits that are only slightly different from the basic circuits they have memorized. We have developed a sequence of interactive lecture demonstrations (ILDs) to help address these issues. These ILD activities foster a deeper understanding of OPAMP circuits through interpreting fundamental electronics principles (such as Ohm¡¯s Law and Kirchoff¡¯s Laws) and basic OPAMP characteristics (such as high input resistance and high intrinsic OPAMP gain). We have also developed an OPAMP conceptual test to gauge the efficacy of our approach. Testing of our students has indicated learning gains when students are taught using our ¡°blended active learning¡± approach rather than just a traditional passive learning approach. Focus groups indicate that students perceive this approach to be beneficial to their learning experience.
%K Active Learning
%K Electronics
%K Interactive Lecture Demonstration
%K Operational Amplifier
%U http://www.lajpe.org/march11/LAJPE_456_Alexander_Mazzolini_preprint_corr_f.pdf