A Freshman 'Introduction to ECE Design' Course Based on the LEGO Mindstorms NXT

Abstract

Faculty members from Georgia Tech's School of electrical and computer engineering (ECE) have worked jointly with engineers from National Instruments to develop a new freshman course. This course, entitled 'Introduction to ECE Design,' is constructed around the LEGO Mindstorms NXT robotics kit. This course addresses the diverse objectives of providing students with a systems-level design experience at the begi.nning of their academic programs and introducing them to a broad range of ECE disciplines. A primary goal is to enable students to make better-informed decisions when choosing whether or not to major in electrical engineering or computer engineering.