Creation of an electronics teaching laboratory as part of an overall infrastructure upgrade

This paper describes the restructuring of two heavily-used undergraduate electrical and electronic engineering laboratories. New roles were assigned to each room: one of the rooms was designated a teaching laboratory and the other was designated a projects laboratory. The attributes of each room were then optimized for its respective purpose. The teaching laboratory was equipped with a video projection system and was designed to facilitate organized group instruction. Other factors considered in the design of each room included: floor plan and visibility, student access, equipment security, and configuration of test equipment. This paper summarizes the motivation, sources of funding, pedagogical issues, and infrastructure issues involved in the restructuring process. A preliminary assessment of the results is offered, based on student feedback.