POWER IN YOUR POCKET: USING A CREDIT-CARD SIZED MICROCONTROLLER TO IMPROVE INTEREST AND LEARNING IN ACOUSTICS

摘要

The study of sound and vibration is a mathematically intense subject; however, modern engineering students have difficulty in maintaining interest, especially at a metropolitan institution such as the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Sound and vibration cannot be easily seen, and consequently visual demonstrations require creativity to prepare. A credit-card sized microcontroller has been used to improve interest and learning in electronics for mechanical engineers through a microphone circuit and data acquisition. This microphone was used in a project-based module in an acoustics class with good anecdotal results. The observations have been formalized into experiments, and data collected on students in a vibrations class in the Spring 2019 semester.