@article{FuhrmannMandlShamoninChamonine, author = {Fuhrmann, Thomas and Mandl, Roland and Shamonin (Chamonine), Mikhail}, title = {Analysis of learning improvement on changing lab course from single experiments to projects}, series = {International Journal of Electrical Engineering Education}, volume = {52}, journal = {International Journal of Electrical Engineering Education}, number = {4}, publisher = {SAGE}, doi = {10.1177/0020720915583863}, pages = {287 -- 297}, abstract = {During recent years, there has been a trend to replace traditional lab courses by project-based learning activities. However, there is currently little scientific evidence for educational improvements through such changes. Some years ago, a lab course on electrical measurements in our bachelor Electrical Engineering and Information Technology was modified from single experiments to projects. This change led to a significant increase in the necessary manpower and lab costs. To justify these higher efforts, it is important to investigate if the learning success increased. We carried out the surveys and collected the statistical data from the students who attended this course. In order to see if the students appreciated this lab course and if there was an objective increase of the students' knowledge, these results were evaluated. Evaluation of the grades in the lecture and lab courses shows that the increase of the students' theoretical and practical knowledge is statistically significant.}, language = {en} } @misc{WestnerFuhrmann, author = {Westner, Markus and Fuhrmann, Thomas}, title = {Applied Learning through Industry Collaboration}, series = {Applied Learning Conference, 2020, Singapur}, journal = {Applied Learning Conference, 2020, Singapur}, abstract = {Purpose In 1969, Germany founded a new type of tertiary education institution, the so-called "Universities of Applied Sciences" (UAS). In contrast to traditional universities, UAS are supposed to educate their students based on scientific methods but with a high degree of application orientation (Wissenschaftsrat, 2010). The goal was to generate highly employable graduates. Since then the number of UAS in Germany has risen to 216 in 2018/2019 (Statistisches Bundesamt, 2019). ~45\% of all German students start their tertiary education at a UAS (Autorengruppe Bildungsberichterstattung, 2018). UAS graduates are well perceived by domestic employers, enjoy high recruiting rates and attractive salary levels. The educational model has proven so successful that its approach and underlying philosophy has been replicated under terms such as "cooperative education" or "applied learning" in a vast number of different countries and educational systems around the globe (Altbach, Reisberg, \& Rumbley, 2011). This talk critically describes the key aspects that constitute German UAS' approaches to industry-oriented applied learning. The findings are relevant for academics, policy makers, and industry representatives to generate ideas on how to improve study curricula, policies, or collaboration between academia and industry. Method The approach taken consists of a descriptive and structured account of the key aspects that constitute the study curricula of a UAS from an applied learning perspective. By building on their own experiences as teaching professors and part of a German UAS' managerial team, the research method taken resembles an action research-oriented approach. Key Findings German UAS have numerous application-oriented learning elements in their curricula. These elements are performed inside the university like lab courses but many of these learning elements are carried out in cooperation with industry. Bachelor programs span over seven semesters. Fundamentals are taught in the first two semesters and from the third semester on, more and more application-oriented lectures and labs become part of the curricula. In the fifth semester, a mandatory internship is integrated in the study program. This internship is carried out either at companies in Germany or abroad. It is the goal of the internship that the students gain first practical experience in a real work environment. The work tasks in internship should be similar to the later professional demands and should contain a project. The students themselves are responsible for finding an appropriate job and organize the administrative aspects around the internship, thus their self-organization skills are advanced. The UAS teaching staff supervises the internships from an academic perspective. This mandatory internship has numerous advantages: students experience real industry environment and they build contacts to later employers thus forming a potential pathway to future employment. Bachelor and master courses each finish with thesis work. The majority of theses is carried out in companies under university supervision. This is a second chance for the students to accomplish a company project, to gain practical experience and to get in touch with potential employers. In addition to undergraduate and postgraduate education, German UAS do a lot of applied research together with companies. This applied research can also be the basis for the work of Ph.D students. Industry representatives are also involved when designing new study programs as consultants and give advice for accreditation and reaccreditation of programs. All these activities of German universities of applied sciences lead to a high practical relevance of education programs and to a high degree of employability of UAS graduates.}, language = {en} } @misc{WestnerFuhrmann, author = {Westner, Markus and Fuhrmann, Thomas}, title = {Entwicklung eines Programms f{\"u}r internationale Gastdozierende als Good Practice Modell f{\"u}r die Hochschulinternationalisierung}, series = {Internationalisierung der Curricula in den MINT-F{\"a}chern (ICM 2018), Berlin}, journal = {Internationalisierung der Curricula in den MINT-F{\"a}chern (ICM 2018), Berlin}, abstract = {Der Freistaat Bayern finanziert seit einigen Jahren ein Hochschulprogramm zur F{\"o}rderung von internationalen Gastprofessorinnen und Gastprofessoren an seinen Hochschulen. Mit diesen Finanzmitteln f{\"o}rdert die OTH Regensburg unter anderem internationale Gastvorlesungen. In der Fakult{\"a}t Informatik und Mathematik wurde seit 2015 eine Zusammenstellung internationaler Gastvorlesungen entwickelt, die als Wahlpflichtf{\"a}cher systematisch in ein bestehendes Curriculum integriert sind. So werden den heimischen Studierenden internationale Erfahrungen erm{\"o}glicht ("internationalization at home"), die fachliche Breite des Curriculums wird erh{\"o}ht und es k{\"o}nnen auf Basis pers{\"o}nlicher Kontakte internationale Hochschulpartnerschaften neu gekn{\"u}pft und weiter entwickelt werden. Jede Vorlesung in diesem Programm besteht aus mehreren Teilen. Zum Vorlesungsbeginn werden die geplanten Inhalte und Anforderung den Studierenden in einer Videokonferenz erl{\"a}utert. Die Studierenden erhalten Unterlagen, um sich in Selbstlerneinheiten auf die Pr{\"a}senzvorlesungen des Gastes vorzubereiten. Im Pr{\"a}senzteil verbringt die/der Gastdozierende ca. 2 bis 3 Wochen in Regensburg und h{\"a}lt an der Hochschule Blockvorlesungen. So ist es m{\"o}glich, Veranstaltungen mit 5 ECTS Credits in einem "blended learning" Lehr-/Lernformat durchzuf{\"u}hren. Studierende sch{\"a}tzen das Programm sehr und {\"a}ußern sich in Evaluationen {\"a}ußerst positiv {\"u}ber die fachliche und didaktische Erweiterung des F{\"a}cherspektrums. Dieses Programm wird als "good practice" innerhalb der Hochschule angesehen und soll in anderen technischen Fakult{\"a}ten verbreitet werden, u.a. wurde ein "Prozesshandbuch" mit konkreten Beispielen und Handreichungen erstellt. Der Vortrag geht auf diese und weitere Umsetzungsaspekte sowie zugeh{\"o}rige Herausforderungen ein.}, subject = {Hochschule}, language = {de} } @inproceedings{FuhrmannFarmbauerNiemetz, author = {Fuhrmann, Thomas and Farmbauer, Michael and Niemetz, Michael}, title = {Integrating GNU Radio into a Virtual Course about Communication Systems}, series = {44th International Convention on Information, Communication and Electronic Technology (MIPRO): 27.09. - 01.10.2021, Opatija, Croatia}, booktitle = {44th International Convention on Information, Communication and Electronic Technology (MIPRO): 27.09. - 01.10.2021, Opatija, Croatia}, publisher = {IEEE}, isbn = {978-953-233-101-1}, doi = {10.23919/MIPRO52101.2021.9596700}, pages = {1565 -- 1570}, abstract = {Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the course Communication Systems was transferred from presence to a virtual lecture. No hands-on lab experiments were possible. Therefore, a GNU Radio practical part was integrated into the lecture. A tutorial was written to guide students through the first steps with GNU Radio to decrease initial problems and increase student motivation. Several examples were given regarding digital signal processing, analogue and digital modulation and demodulation. Software Defined Radio receivers were set up in the amateur radio lab of the university and connected to the internet so that students were able to get real radio data to be analyzed and demodulated with their own GNU Radio models. This enables a knowledge transfer from simulated signal processing to the analysis and demodulation of real live signals. Students showed medium to high interest in practical examples during the lectures and tried their own GNU Radio simulations. Overall, the integration of GNU Radio and Software Defined Radio receivers into this virtual lecture gave additional benefits for the students to deal with signal processing and demodulation experiments. It is planned to use GNU Radio in the future for complementary practical examples to the hands-on experiments in the lab.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{Fuhrmann, author = {Fuhrmann, Thomas}, title = {Let the students publish}, series = {IEEE International Conference on Teaching, Assessment and Learning for Engineering (TALE), 26-29 August 2013, Bali Dynasty Resort, Kuta, Indonesia}, booktitle = {IEEE International Conference on Teaching, Assessment and Learning for Engineering (TALE), 26-29 August 2013, Bali Dynasty Resort, Kuta, Indonesia}, publisher = {IEEE}, isbn = {978-1-4673-6355-6}, doi = {10.1109/TALE.2013.6654515}, abstract = {In technical study programs on the bachelor level the focus is mainly directed on the scientific education in theory and practice. Publication is usually started during the PhD phase when students write their first scientific papers. During the last years some very successful projects were made at the university of applied sciences Regensburg to motivate bachelor students doing their first own small publications. The results of these projects are presented in this paper and ideas how students can publish are given.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{AltmannBirknerHaeckletal., author = {Altmann, Andreas and Birkner, Wolfgang and H{\"a}ckl, Franz-Xaver and Hanner, Christopher and Liebhart, Peter and Metschl, Samuel and Weck, Florian and Farmbauer, Michael and Heiß, Manfred and Cuno, H.-H. and Fuhrmann, Thomas and Mandl, Roland and Mottok, J{\"u}rgen and Niemetz, Michael}, title = {Payload development and launch of a stratosphere balloon mission}, series = {IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON 2014), 3-5 April 2014, Istanbul, Turkey}, booktitle = {IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON 2014), 3-5 April 2014, Istanbul, Turkey}, doi = {10.1109/EDUCON.2014.6826065}, abstract = {During a student project a stratosphere balloon was developed and launched. This project included the definition of the balloon parameters and the scientific instruments for performing atmospheric measurements, the development of all mechanical and electronic parts, the administration of the project as well as the management tasks related to the balloon launch. The main challenge for the students was the high complexity of the project due to tasks involving many different knowledge domains and the long project duration from the initial definition to the launch.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{Fuhrmann, author = {Fuhrmann, Thomas}, title = {Realizing a complex student project over several semesters}, series = {Proceedings of the 2012 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON), 17-20 April 2012, Marrakech, Morocco}, booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2012 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON), 17-20 April 2012, Marrakech, Morocco}, publisher = {IEEE}, isbn = {978-1-4673-1456-5}, issn = {2165-9567}, doi = {10.1109/EDUCON.2012.6201067}, abstract = {Project Based Learning (PBL) has become a popular method for lab courses to teach practical topics. Most of the student projects are tailored in their complexity and need a defined time for a student team within one semester. With this defined and often reduced complexity of the projects the practical relevance is doubtful. In this here shown approach for a PBL lab an industry project with the original complexity is used and structured into several parts. These are sequentially dependent and have to be solved in a defined order by student groups. Each group has to develop one component and has the responsibility for a working result at the end of their subproject. Each group interacts with other groups during the same semester to develop a working system. Student groups in the following semesters take the results from previous semesters and develop the entire project further on. With this type of PBL an own dynamic of the student work is evolving which is not possible with small complexity tailored projects.}, language = {en} } @article{Fuhrmann, author = {Fuhrmann, Thomas}, title = {Spherical lens aberration minimization method for short-range free-space light transmission}, series = {Optical Engineering}, volume = {61}, journal = {Optical Engineering}, number = {8}, publisher = {SPIE}, address = {Bellingham, Wash.}, issn = {1560-2303}, doi = {10.1117/1.OE.61.8.085101}, abstract = {Spherical aberrations of lenses lead to increased spot radii on the focal plane. Several methods, such as optimizing thickness and radii or building lens groups, are known to minimize these spherical aberrations. Here, an innovative method for spherical aberration minimization is introduced; it can be used for short-range free-space optical communication systems, such as unit power afocal relay trains, lens waveguides, and periodic lens systems. This spherical aberration compensation principle is based on the combination of two identical spherical convex lenses at an optimal distance. Due to the higher refractive power for rays with an larger axis distance, rays from the outer area of the first lens intersect the inner area of the second lens, and vice versa. With this setup, the radial refractive power deviation of the two lenses compensate each other. Analytic calculations and numerical simulations are done to confirm this behavior, and measurements using two symmetric spherical lenses with polymer optical fibers as light feed confirm the calculations. Simulations and measurements show a very good matching behavior except for an unknown systematic error. At a lens distance of 300 mm, the optical attenuation decreased by ∼2 dB compared with a very small lens distance. This leads to the conclusion that this proposed spherical aberration minimization method works as theoretically predicted.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{NiemetzFuhrmannFarmbauer, author = {Niemetz, Michael and Fuhrmann, Thomas and Farmbauer, Michael}, title = {Comprehensive Amateur Radio Education including Public Outreach}, series = {IEEE Integrated STEM Education Conference (ISEC), 16-16 March 2019, Princeton, NJ, USA}, booktitle = {IEEE Integrated STEM Education Conference (ISEC), 16-16 March 2019, Princeton, NJ, USA}, publisher = {IEEE}, doi = {10.1109/ISECon.2019.8882078}, pages = {98 -- 103}, abstract = {An amateur radio lecture was developed and is conducted within the general education program of the Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Regensburg. This course enables the students to participate in a variety of activities within the university. Different learning formats for communication engineering are carried out in combination with an amateur radio station of the university. Additionally, some of the projects serve as anchor points for increased visibility of the university in local society, e.g. by carrying out public events in connection with the local amateur radio community. It is seen that this course together with the amateur radio station have several positive effects for technical education and university visibility.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{Fuhrmann, author = {Fuhrmann, Thomas}, title = {Experiences from Transforming a Lecture "Communication Systems" from Presence to Virtual Format during the COVID-19 Pandemic}, series = {7th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'21): 22.06.2021 - 23.06.2021, Valencia}, booktitle = {7th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'21): 22.06.2021 - 23.06.2021, Valencia}, publisher = {Universitat Polit{\`e}cnica de Val{\`e}ncia}, address = {Valencia}, doi = {10.4995/head21.2021.12430}, pages = {297 -- 305}, abstract = {This article describes the transitions of an existing lecture "Communication Systems" from a conventional presence format to a virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The process of transformation, the evolution of the lecture during the virtual semester and the lessons learned are characterized. The changed exam format from presence to virtual format with the experiences are described. Results of a student evaluation at the end of the semester are shown.}, language = {en} }