The effectiveness of logic circuit instruction using simulation software

The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of three kinds of electronic circuit teaching methods in vocational high school. The experimental samples are 104 students divided into three groups for a 8-week teaching experiment. TRA group uses traditional lecture and operation methods; DB group uses Digital Breadboard simulation software to help construct logic circuit conception and actual operation; and TINA group uses TINA Pro simulation software to carry out conception learning for logic circuit and actual operation. The experimental result for circuit theory learning, Both TINA group and DB group show better achievement followed by TRA group. For circuit design and assembly, TINA group shows the best achievement followed by TRA group and DB group. However, the TINA method has the best overall effectiveness among these three teaching methods. It can be said that the deliberately designed simulation software can improve the learning effectiveness, even in the skill learning.