Fakultät Elektro- und Informationstechnik
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This article describes a contactless fiber-optic position sensor. It comprises a Polymer Optical Fiber that is grinded to form a D-shaped cross-section with an exposed fiber core. This sensor has two photodiodes at both fiber ends to measure the emitted light intensity. Light is coupled using a red LED at the side face into the exposed core of the fiber at a defined position. The position of the LED at the length of the fiber is measured by calculating the optical power quotient measured by both photodiodes. To test this sensor, Polymer Optical Fibers with different side surface roughness are produced and qualified. Measurements show that the optical power quotient is reproducible and nearly linear over the length of the fiber. It is also seen that the fiber attenuation increases when grinding the fiber side-face with rougher sandpaper. Position measurements show an absolute position error of this sensor in the range of a few millimeters. Microscope images show surface defects along the polished side face of the fiber that are expected to lead to a nonuniform attenuation along the fiber and cause the position errors. Overall, it is proven that this sensor principle works as a contactless low-cost position sensor for short distances with an absolute position standard deviation error lower than 1 mm.
Analysis and Improvement of Engineering Exams Toward Competence Orientation by Using an AI Chatbot
(2024)
ChatGPT is currently one of the most advanced general chatbots. This development leads to diverse challenges in higher education, like new forms of teaching and learning, additional exam methods, new possibilities for plagiarism, and many more topics. On the other side with the development of advanced AI tools, pure knowledge will be less and less important, and demands from industry will change toward graduates with higher competencies. Education has therefore to be changed from knowledge-centered toward competence centered. The goal of this article is to use ChatGPT for analyzing and improving the competence orientation of exams in engineering education. The authors use ChatGPT to analyze exams from different engineering subjects to evaluate the performance of this chatbot and draw conclusions about the competence orientation of the tested exams. The obtained information is used to develop ideas for increasing the competence orientation of exams. From this analysis, it is visible that ChatGPT gives good performance mainly where knowledge is tested. It has, however, much more problems with transfer questions or tasks where students need creativity or complex insights for finding new solutions. Based on this result, exams and also lectures can be optimized toward competence orientation.
The world is changing rapidly, mainly due to the digitalization of all areas of living. A huge amount of information is accessible via the Internet, and since it is no longer possible for individual humans to keep track of it, artificial intelligence (AI) is analyzing this data. In this rapidly changing world, students have to be educated for a successful career during their whole working life. These boundary conditions lead to completely new challenges for the education of students that are unprecedented in this form. Digitalization in education can help to cope with these challenges but can only be a means, not a goal. Personal interaction with students remains the most important task in education to address individual weaknesses and further develop strengths and talents. With the increasing amount of openly available information and the consequently increasing diversity of experiences within the group of students, differentiation is advancing to become the key to successful education. Digitization can help with this challenging task and support communication between students and their experienced instructors. But computers cannot replace human interaction and attempts to improve teaching efficiency by replacing this communication with electronic means endangers the learning success for complex concepts. This article analyzes education demands and possibilities for digitally supported teaching and learning.
Due to the various demands for lecturers, there is only a limited time to prepare lectures and lab courses. Therefore, it is necessary to invest the time target-oriented for optimal student learning success. A theoretic model is developed to structure course preparation work regarding scientific content, didactic preparation, and course presentation. Model parameters have to be chosen for each course depending on topic complexity, the lecturer’s prior knowledge, and the already available preparation from the prior semesters. With these parameters, a course preparation model for a complete semester is developed. Analytic models for different optimization strategies are introduced according to the overall goal of the lecturer. Numerical optimization is done to find the appropriate course preparation times to reach an optimal course preparation for high student learning success. It is seen that due to the different optimization strategies, the preparation time results vary and no single truth is given. But this optimization system gives hints on how to invest preparation time target-oriented for high student learning success.
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.
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.
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.
The Exoplanet Imaging Data Challenge is a community-wide effort meant to offer a platform for a fair and common comparison of image processing methods designed for exoplanet direct detection. For this purpose, it gathers on a dedicated repository (Zenodo), data from several high-contrast ground-based instruments worldwide in which we injected synthetic planetary signals. The data challenge is hosted on the CodaLab competition platform, where participants can upload their results. The specifications of the data challenge are published on our website https://exoplanet-imaging-challenge.github.io/. The first phase, launched on the 1st of September 2019 and closed on the 1st of October 2020, consisted in detecting point sources in two types of common data-set in the field of high-contrast imaging: data taken in pupil-tracking mode at one wavelength (subchallenge 1, also referred to as ADI) and multispectral data taken in pupil-tracking mode (subchallenge 2, also referred to as ADI+mSDI). In this paper, we describe the approach, organisational lessons-learnt and current limitations of the data challenge, as well as preliminary results of the participants’ submissions for this first phase. In the future, we plan to provide permanent access to the standard library of data sets and metrics, in order to guide the validation and support the publications of innovative image processing algorithms dedicated to high-contrast imaging of planetary systems.
This paper presents the idea to intentionally introduce planned chaos into electrical engineering lectures and lab courses to improve students’ learning success. The reason to present this idea are several personal experiences in daily teaching. If students experience some uncertainty in their study program, it is seen that they have higher challenges and therefore higher learning success in managing uncertain situations. In these ways, students acquire methodical and social competences to deal with uncertainty and achieve productive results in an unstable working environment. If, however, the chaos is too large, students are over-strained with the situation, distracted from the actual learning targets and consequently learning results will be worse, drop-out rates will increase and they will be frustrated. The beneficial level of uncertainty depends on the student culture, academic progress and personality characteristics. The competence to deal with complex situations is essential for later professional life where unexpected circumstances occur regularly. Introducing planned chaos into lectures and lab courses has not to be confused with a missing didactic concept and is no justification for a bad preparation. Planned chaos is a demanding concept for professors to find the right implementation for an optimized learning outcome. These described findings are experienced from practical work and student evaluations.
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.
The OTH Regensburg has a broad variety of study programs in technical, business, social and health sciences. Up to now there is no integral connection in the bachelor curricula between business and technical faculties except for some small subjects. The scope of this project is to develop a new course specialization which connects engineering and business thinking. Electrical engineering students should learn basics of business science and how managers think. Business students should vice versa learn fundamentals of engineering and how engineers solve problems. Students from both faculties work together in projects where they act like start-up companies developing a new product and bringing it into the market. It is seen a transdisciplinary effect: These projects gain innovative results between the disciplines compared to student projects of one isolated discipline. Evaluation results from the first two cohorts indicate high student satisfaction, high learning success as well as directions for further improvement.
The paper at hand describes how a regional university of applied sciences tried to internationalize its learning and teaching environment. It describes the challenges encountered, the managerial approach taken, illustrates the implemented initiatives, and how effective they turned out. The results might be relevant to faculty staff in managerial positions at regional universities all over the world that face the challenge to internationalize their teaching and learning environment for the benefit of their domestic students.
Motivation Centered Learning
(2018)
This Research Work in Progress Paper evaluates students’ motivation sources and shows the high impact that work of professors has on students’ motivation. Common goal of most professors is to help students acquiring knowledge and competencies that are relevant for their further life. From the beginning of Universities’ history, lectures are usually chosen to reach this goal but it is seen in recent years that they are in many cases not the optimal choice. In the last years, many efforts were made to increase students knowledge gain. From learning and motivation psychology research, many details are known how humans remember and transfer knowledge. These research results are used to create new lecture formats to activate students. Research based learning, project based lab courses, problem based learning, feedback systems, flipped classroom, blended learning and gamification in lectures are only some examples for new formats. Common goal of all these new types of learning formats is to increasing students’ motivation and to enhance learning success. In this paper, evaluations using a questionnaire with open questions were done among first year students, bachelor students before graduation and alumni, about their sources of motivation and demotivation. Interesting curricula and lectures with application related topics and possibilities for own work are the main sources of motivation. Enthusiastic professors with high competences and good lecture didactics also contribute to students’ motivation. On the other side, demotivated professors with boring lectures play a much higher role for demotivating students. Therefore, it is necessary to integrate aspects of student motivation into curriculum and lecture design and professors should become aware that they are important role-models for motivating or demotivating students.
Die Transdisziplinarität ist als wichtiger Innovationsmotor in aller Munde, entstehen doch an den Schnittstellen und in den Zwischenräumen der etablierten Wissenschaften neue Ideen und damit die zukünftige Wertschöpfung unserer Industrie. Wir alle wurden in der Welt von gestern sozialisiert, für die meisten Tätigkeiten in der Industrie war tiefes und spezialisiertes Fachwissen essentiell und auch ausreichend. Wir wurden zu Spezialisten ausgebildet und aufgrund dieser Kompetenz in der Arbeitswelt geschätzt und auch auf unsere Professuren berufen. Doch ist dies eine ausreichende Basis, um unsere Absolventinnen und Absolventen auf die neue komplexe Welt ubiquitär verfügbaren und durchsuchbaren Wissens adäquat vorzubereiten? Können wir mit unserem Mindset aus der Vergangenheit die benötigten überfachlichen Kompetenzen für die Zukunft vermitteln? Diese selbstkritische Auseinandersetzung ist schmerzhaft, doch nur durch diese Analyse können wir unsere alten Denkmuster in engen Fachdisziplinen ablegen und zu einem neuen vernetzten Denken für eine zukunftsgerichtete Lehre kommen.
Several concepts are known for improving processor safety, all of them having their pros and cons. Some are very resource intensive, others have limited capabilities regarding the provided error safety. In this paper we use research on channel coding of noisy communication channels known from communication theory as an analogy to random bit errors in processors. We incorporate this knowledge into processor design to suggest a new error correction concept by using channel coding in processors. The new concept of a Channel Coded Processor could provide effective implementation of redundancy by the channel coding that enables error correction. The concept could also create a complete chain of redundancy in all areas and components of the processor ranging from the code compiler through the processing hardware to the output of the information.
The University of Shanghai for Science and Technology (USST), the Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts (CUASA) and the OTH Regensburg, University of Applied Sciences (OTHR) established an English taught international cooperative bachelor program in the area of Engineering Physics/Optoelectronics. Students from China study their first four semesters at USST. They continue their studies in Germany for the last three semesters, including an internship and a bachelor thesis, graduating with a Chinese and a German bachelor degree. Students from Germany study their third and fourth semester at USST to gain international experience. While the first cohort of Chinese students is currently in Germany, the second cohort of German students is in Shanghai. Up to now the feedback regarding this study program is completely positive, thus it is planned to develop it further.
Different higher education backgrounds in China and Germany led to challenges in the curriculum design at the beginning of our cooperative bachelor program in Optoelectronics Engineering. We see challenges in different subject requirements from both sides and in the German language requirements for Chinese students. The curriculum was optimized according to the AS IIN criteria, which makes it acceptable and und erstandable by both countries. German students are integrated into the Chinese class and get the sa me lectures like their Chinese colleagues. Intercultural and curriculum challenges are successfully solved. The results are summarized to provide an example for other similar international programs.
Ethical, intercultural and professional impulses integrated into a transmission systems lecture
(2017)
In the sixth semester of the bachelor study course “Electrical Engineering and Information Technology”, a lecture “Transmission Systems” is given. It explains basic principles, circuits and systems of electrical and optical transmission systems. Short intellectual impulses, which address professional, intercultural and ethical issues of engineers' working life are integrated into this regular lecture. In each lecture unit, an impulse with one specific topic is given approximately in the middle of the lecture hour. An evaluation was done at the end of the semester, which shows that most of the students remember the discussed topics and state high interest due to high importance for their professional life. Due to these encouraging results, this concept will be developed further.
The Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology of the OTH Regensburg developed and implemented a compact freshmen seminar for the afternoon of the first day of study. The intention of this seminar is to help the freshmen during their transition between school and study without losing lecture time in the first semester. The concept was tested with one small study group at the beginning of the summer semester 2015. To rate the impact of the seminar and to find aspects for continuous improvement an evaluation method was developed and used. Due to the good student resonance during the first run, this introduction seminar was held again in the winter semester 2015/16. It is planned to integrate this seminar as a regular session for all freshmen of the faculty curriculum and monitor the long-term effects of student motivation and success.
With the availability of cost effective embedded Linux solutions and the increasing complexity of embedded devices because of growing calculation power and communication demand, Linux is getting increasingly interesting as an operating system for the design of embedded control solutions. This is the case for almost all technical applications in electrical engineering like energy distribution systems, high level communication, signal processing or industrial automation. In the engineering master courses at the OTH Regensburg, a lecture is offered introducing students to Linux with a strong focus on embedded applications. This paper describes the concept of the lecture including the laboratory set up and gives some examples of embedded Linux projects performed by students.
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.
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.
Let the students publish
(2013)
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.
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.