Proceedings of the ASEE New England Section 2006 Annual Conference.

Copyright 2006 1

Innovative Laboratory Exercises to Teach Introduction to Electrical and
Computer Engineering

LCDR Joseph Staier, USCG Academy
LCDR David Godfrey, USCG Academy
Dr. Gregory Johnson, Alion Science & Technology
Electrical and Computer Engineering Session
Introduction to Electrical Engineering has been a core course at the United
States Coast Guard Academy for over thirty-five years. The courses purpose has
been to provide non-engineering majors a basic knowledge of Electrical
Engineering. During the summer of 2004, the course was rewritten; creating a
new course that focuses on technologys impact on society. The course now
covers a broad range of electrical engineering topics such as image and signal
processing, data compression, electronic navigation and computer networks and
security. The course also examines how society uses technology and discusses
the ethical issues that arise with the potential misuse of technology.

To support the new direction of the course the authors developed five new
laboratory exercises: images, signals, electronic navigation, networks and
technological applications and ethics. The image-processing lab covers such
topics as digital images, facial recognition, image compression and
steganography. Comparisons of the signal bandwidth, basic filter design, voice
manipulation and voice recognition are covered in the signal processing lab. A
hands-on demonstration was developed for the electronic navigation lab to
illustrate the relative accuracies of GPS, WAAS and DGPS while also
demonstrating the impact on positioning of satellite masking, multipath and
spoofing. Packets, data security and wireless networks are delved into in the
networking lab. The remaining lab became a series of debates to improve the
students understanding of technological and ethical trade-offs which arise as the
result of the technologys rapid advancement. The debates and associated papers
also help develop students critical thinking, writing and oral presentation skills.

Concerns about appropriate applications of technology, such as we are facing now
with the tapping of phone lines by the NSA, are accelerating along with
technology. With the skills developed and reinforced by these new labs, the
students become more informed and intelligent consumers of technology. The
ethics associated with applying technology in manners that our forefathers never
envisioned require a basic understanding of the underlying material.

Now in its fourth semester, the course and its associated labs have obtained
overwhelmingly positive feedback. This paper will review these laboratory
exercises and the debate. It will explain the lab procedures and the learning
objectives, and how these lab exercises improve the students understanding of
the course material.
Proceedings of the ASEE New England Section 2006 Annual Conference. Copyright 2006 2


Introduction

Upon graduation from the United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA), each cadet receives a
commission as an Ensign in the United States Coast Guard and a Bachelors of Science degree.
There is a strong technical focus at the school with four engineering majors: Civil, Electrical,
Mechanical, and Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. The other four majors currently
offered are: Operations Research and Computer Analysis, Marine and Environmental Science,
Management and Government.

While engineering majors take either Electrical Engineering 1 or Electrical Circuits and
Machines, Introduction to Electrical Engineering (IEE) has been a required course for non-
engineers at the Academy for over thirty-five years. Historically, the course has provided a basic
knowledge of electrical engineering enabling graduates to function in an increasingly
technological environment.

During the summer of 2004, LCDR Godfrey and LCDR Staier rewrote the course and created a
new course, Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering (IECE) that focuses on
technologys impact on society [1]. This rewrite removed all discussions of electrical circuits
and electromechanical forces, as this material is already covered in the Physics II course all
students take. The course now covers a broader range of electrical engineering fields such as
image and signal processing, data compression, electronic navigation, communications, and
computer networks and security. The course also examines current technological trends, with a
focus on how the Coast Guard, the Department of Homeland Security and society at large use
technology. A discussion of ethical issues that arise with the potential use and misuse of
technology is also included.

In support of this new course, the authors developed several innovative laboratory exercises and
a series of debates to reinforce the students understanding of the course material. These
laboratories focused on applying the technology discussed in class; the debates help to
demonstrate technological trade-offs while developing the students critical thinking, writing and
oral presentation skills.

This paper provides a brief overview of the new course, discusses these new laboratories, the
procedures developed and methods used to expand upon the ideas and how the labs tie into the
course. This will be followed by a review of the debates that we developed to help with the
course.

The Course
During the spring of 2004 End-of-Course Review a normal part of the assessment process, the
Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) section discussed the direction of Introduction to
Electrical Engineering. This discussion focused on a review of the two major assessment
instruments available: student feedback and the feedback from the Coast Guard fleet (our
customer) on what electrical engineering topics new Ensigns must understand during the course
of their duties.

Proceedings of the ASEE New England Section 2006 Annual Conference. Copyright 2006 3

Many of the fundamental EE topics in the course, circuit analysis and electromechanical theory,
were already covered in the calculus based Physics II course. The ECE section members could
not articulate a reason why non-engineers would need such an in-depth discussion of these topics
twice. However, as this is one of the two engineering courses used to meet the requirements of a
Bachelor of Science Degree, there was a fundamental requirement to maintain a rigorous
technical approach.

The discussion then developed into a overview of which topics the course should include and the
level of understanding desired. In deciding which topics to be covered in the new course, we
examined the desired outcomes of the course from the vantage point of the various constituent
groups and commenced upon a complete re-write. We focused on those topics that would
provide the best education of how dramatically technology impacts todays Coast Guard (the
recipient of all graduates of our institution) and society. Just like society at large, the Coast
Guard is relying more heavily on these technologies in an effort to reduce costs while improving
efficiency and effectiveness.

Based on theses entering arguments, the course was divided into three modules covering
materials on computer networks and the Internet, image processing, and information theory. A
major subsection of the information theory module would cover electronic navigation systems
based upon the fact that approximately eighty percent of all graduates immediately serve on
board a Coast Guard cutter. While the CG service and operational environment necessitates a
unique dependence upon electronic navigation, society as a whole is also increasingly relying on
this technology to improve efficiency. At the end of each module, a two class lesson plan on
applications and ethical discussions, which we called Using Technology and Big Brother,
were included to demonstrate the practical relevance of the material.

The Using Technology lessons discussed the applications of the material in that lesson
grouping which were currently being employed in society or the Coast Guard. For example, the
image processing section ends with a lesson on the state of facial recognition and the possible
uses in points of entry into the U.S. The Big Brother lessons were classroom discussions on
what can happen when technology is abused. Classroom discussions were held on privacy rights
and video surveillance, tracking GPS equipped cell-phones and how the government or
businesses monitor individuals internet use.

With the new direction of the course, it became imperative to develop new laboratory exercises
to compliment and to further solidify the lessons discussed in class course. The new laboratories
follow the modules very closely Image Processing, Signal Processing, Electronic Navigation
and Computer Networks. Specific objectives for each lab are included in Appendix A.

The Laboratory Exercises
Image Processing Lab
The first of the new labs, Image Processing, introduces the students to the theory behind some
technology they are already familiar with specifically digital cameras and computer based
photo editors. It also provides an overview of some basic digital image processing techniques
and shows practical examples of the things that are and are not possible, despite what one may
Proceedings of the ASEE New England Section 2006 Annual Conference. Copyright 2006 4

observe in the movies. In order to achieve the lab objectives the following methods and tools are
used.

The lab starts with the instructor showing a short video clip of a recent movie. By using a
popular movie we can demonstrate some of the liberties and manipulations that Hollywood takes
with images while keeping the students interested. The video clips also work well to
demonstrate the pixelization that occurs with the MPEG2 compression used by DVDs, satellite
TV and cable TV.

In the next part of the lab, we focus on digital images. Multiple images of the college
presidents car with a very distinctive license plate are taken using different combinations of
optical/digital zooms and resolutions. The students are asked to determine the license plate
number in each image. This is used to deepen the students understanding of resolution and the
differences between optical and digital zoom. Since most students have digital cameras and are
unaware of the distinction, this is usually an eye-opener for them.

Several new images are then used to demonstrate lossy vs. lossless compression techniques and
appropriate applications trade-offs. The students are given a set of images and told to save them
using different compression techniques (Run-Length Encoding and JPEG

with different quality

factors) and asked to compare the quality and file sizes. A pre-written MATLAB

script (as most
of the students are unfamiliar with MATLAB

) is then employed to do a two-dimentional

discrete cosine transformation and measure compression rates while monitoring the pictures
degradation in quality.

The ease of which a computer can conduct image comparison is then explored. Two sets of
busy pictures are presented to students and they are asked to identify the differences. In the
first, a bookcase has had a single book removed. In the second set, the students are presented
with two image files of very similar numbers (Figure 1) Another pre-written MATLAB

script
was provide to the students to display the differences between the image sets after the students
attempted to find them (Figure 2). The applications of using this ability for homeland security
are then discussed.
Proceedings of the ASEE New England Section 2006 Annual Conference. Copyright 2006 5


Figure 1 - Students are asked to identify the four differences between these two images.

Figure 2 - Result from MATLAB

script showing the differences of the two images in Fig. 1.

The ability for the enhancement of digital images and the limits of eye acuity are explored with
the next set of images. Students were provided with an image of the instructors hiding in the
shadow of a doorway on a bright day. The students are required to discover who is hiding in
the shadows by a cropping and rebalancing of the 50 levels of gray that the eye can detect. This
is an effective demonstration of human visual acuity and the information present in an images
least significant bits.

Proceedings of the ASEE New England Section 2006 Annual Conference. Copyright 2006 6

A demonstration of evolving technology of facial recognition is accomplished by using a copy of
software provided by NevenVision, Inc. The students first enter themselves into the computers
database. They then use various provided disguises (glasses, wigs, etc) to attempt to fool the
software. The purposes for the two different facial recognition modes, cooperative vs.
surveillance, are explored. While a discussion of the sensitivity settings on the truth table of
positive and negative identifications are discussed.

The final section of this lab demonstrates steganography. Using USCGA generated software, the
ability to digitally watermark files with data not able to be seen with the human eye is shown.
This software uses the least significant bits of a photographic file to encoded data. The students
are provided with an image of an instructor in front of the class, both the original image and two
images with hidden data. They are asked to determine if there is any difference between the
images.

Once they determine there is not any difference, they are directed to use the software to display
the hidden information. In the first image, the entire lab handout is hidden, in the second image
various grey-scale photographs are hidden, usually ones taken from the database of the students
freshmen IDs.
Signal Processing Lab
In the signal processing lab, the frequency and time domains are compared and contrasted. A
discussion of the bandwidth used in various mediums the students use everyday attempts to
reconcile their observations with the underlying mechanics. This leads to the development of
concepts necessary for the manipulation of these signals.

An overview of time and frequency domains uses a frequency generator, a music synthesizer and
a frequency analyzer. A pure tone is shown in the time and frequency domains and discussed.
The frequency generator is set to scan the frequencies and students are able to see the frequency
and time domain representations simultaneously. More complex tones are then demonstrated
and the concepts of harmonics and music timbre are introduced.

The discussion then uses MATLAB

to generate the tone grid used by the telephone system.

Dialing a phone number via tones generated by the computer into the mouthpiece of the phone is
a simple, but effective demonstration of these techniques.

Music files are used to demonstrate the relationship between perceived sound quality and
bandwidth. Samples of songs recorded from AM radio (Figure 3), FM radio (Figure 4), CDs
and MP3 files (Figure 5) were taken and then analyzed using Realtime Analyzer

(a computer
based signal analyzer) [2]. File size is also discussed to show the relationship between
information storage size and uncompressed bandwidth. MP3 methods of compression are
explored in a cursory fashion. The students are given a music file injected with bandpass noise
to analyze. A MATLAB

script filter is provided and they attempt to filter the noise out and
examine what lost information does to quality.

Proceedings of the ASEE New England Section 2006 Annual Conference. Copyright 2006 7


Figure 3 - Frequency spectrum using Realtime Analyzer

of a song recorded
from an AM radio station.

Figure 4 - Frequency spectrum using Realtime Analyzer

of a song recorded
from an FM radio station. Note the pilot tone at 19 kHz.

Proceedings of the ASEE New England Section 2006 Annual Conference. Copyright 2006 8


Figure 5 - Frequency spectrum using Realtime Analyzer

of a song from a CD.

A MATLAB

phone filter script is provided to the students and they record their voice and pass
it through the filter. The students then listen to what information is retained and what
information is rejected in the filter. A terrorist call was recorded and the students use Audacity
(another computer based signal processing software) to determine the frequencies, and thus
phone number, of the number called by the terrorists [3]. The numbers identified are looked up
in the phone book and the students find that the bad guys are the Superintendent, Dean,
Commandant of Cadets, and various Department Heads.

The time domain is explored with the students as they record themselves saying I am not a
crook. The time domain allows the students to identify the word not and remove it. They
then play back the file and hear themselves say I am a crook. This also demonstrates the ease
of manipulating digital files.

Microsoft

WORDs built-in voice recognition is used as students train the computer with the
standard training sequence and then attempt to dictate a simple statement into the computer. The
many voices in the labs are obviously too much for the computers to handle and the quality is
poor and the point that humans are still some of the best signal processors around as it is childs
play for most people to focus on one voice out of many.
Electronic Navigation Lab
The Electronic Navigation lab is a unique lab for students to explore the practical application and
limitations of GPS (Global Positioning Service), DGPS (Differential GPS) and WAAS (Wide
Area Augmentation System). The students also learn a little about the wireless technology that is
known as Bluetooth

which is employed to broadcast data to a collection laptop computer.

The students are exposed to GPS systems operating in a real-time environment as they walk
around different places at USCGA carrying a backpack with either a GPS, DGPS or WAAS
receiver. Their classmates see the movements of their fellow cadets on a graphical plot as the
backpacks are carried around. The plot is displayed on a laptop computer via a serial connection
that uses Bluetooth

transceivers. The students observe the effects of strong, unobstructed GPS

Proceedings of the ASEE New England Section 2006 Annual Conference. Copyright 2006 9

signals verses a signal that is degraded due to interference, multipath and obstructions. They
also have the opportunity to see the difference between standard GPS, DGPS, and WAAS
enabled GPS accuracy.

The various configurations of positioning systems are each installed in backpacks that can be
worn and carried around easily by the cadets (Figure 6). Each backpack has a Trimble DSM132
receiver and an antenna. The antenna is mounted on the survey pole at
the top of the backpack. Either a serial cable is used to make a direct
connection between the receiver and the laptop or the Parani Bluetooth

transmitter is used to establish a wireless connection.

A 12VDC battery, placed in the bottom of the backpack provides power
for all devices. If the Parani Bluetooth

device is used, it is connected to

the GPS receiver with a serial cable. It is important to note that a null
modem cable or adapter must be used since both devices are DCE
devices in regards to serial connections. The Parani device is mounted
on top of a ! PVC pipe about 24 in length. This is done to keep the
transmitter above the head for obvious reasons.

Positioning messages are sent from the receivers and collected then
displayed on MS Streets

to demonstrate the accuracy and precision in a
form that the cadets will immediately recognize. After the initial run, the
input is transferred to MATLAB

to record and display the data on a

blank screen. A MATLAB

program was written to collect the position
data from the receiver on the laptop. The program uses a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for
selection of initial configuration parameters such as serial port number, name of the output data
file and number of seconds to record data (Figure 7). The program plots the position on a chart
and saves it into the data file until it collets a given number of data samples or when the user
presses the Stop button.


Figure 7 Graphical User Interface to MATLAB

.

The paths chosen for the cadets provide them with specific environments that emphasize the
performance characteristics of the three positioning systems. At first the cadets walk around the
perimeter of the football field then along the goal line, 5, 10 and 50 yard lines. Most teams also
used this opportunity to try and write something on the field with their receivers.

Figure 6 - The backpack developed
for the Electronic Navigation Lab.
Proceedings of the ASEE New England Section 2006 Annual Conference. Copyright 2006 10

The cadets continue to gather data as they are directed to walk thru an urban canyon (the
quadrangle in the middle of the 4 story dormitory) and then stay in a single location for a
prolonged period of time. Finally the cadets walk through an area where we are temporarily
rebroadcasting a GPS signal received from the antenna on top of the engineering building using
a standard GPS re-radiator.

At the conclusion of the data collection, the lab shifts indoors to view the data results. The
cadets take the data gathered and overlay it on a geographically referenced satellite image of the
USCGA grounds, where each data source is assigned a different color (Figure 8). A group
discussion is then held on the relative accuracies, advertised vs. observed accuracies, impact of
urban canyons and the relative ease of spoofing of the signals.

Figure 8: Satellite Photo showing data tracks. Each file plotted is indicated in the legend. Data
collection sites include (1) Football Field, (2) Urban Canyon, (3) stationary collection and (4) GPS
spoofing.
1
2
3
4
Proceedings of the ASEE New England Section 2006 Annual Conference. Copyright 2006 11


A planned improvement to this lab is the inclusion of a Loran portion to demonstrate the
advantages of repeatability and the anti-jamming characteristics of Loran.

Computer Networks Lab

The public in general and the Coast Guard in particular, increasingly rely upon communication
networks. Our remote locations, bad weather operating conditions and needs for interoperability
with other services and countries demand the ability to exchange information, seamlessly and
quickly. The purpose of this lab is to expose the cadets to the capabilities, limitations and
vulnerabilities associated with networks by exposing some of the underlying technologies that
they use everyday.

The lab begins with our Information Services staff giving a tour of network spaces and a
description of networks located at USCGA, including both the .edu and .mil networks and their
connections to the outside world. The cadets each have their own computers which are
connected to the USCGAs education network, the .edu network. The military computers on
the campus are connected to the rest of the CG and other military services via the .mil
network. The networks are physically isolated and data must travel thousands of miles to get
from a .edu computer to a .mil computer. This comes as quite a surprise to the cadets!

Next, a demonstration of Personal Area Networks, already brought to their attention by their use
in the Electronic Navigation lab, with a Bluetooth

file transfer from computer to computer and

computer to PDA.

Using Ethereal

, cadets view packets of traffic as they are transmitted over a Fast Ethernet
network and the ease of capturing those packets. The students download files via File Transfer
Protocol (FTP) from real sites (APPLE, IBM, etc) and capture the packets via Ethereal

, viewing
the data to confirm that the captured packets contain the same information that they receive via
their web browsers (Figure 9). The students then connect to a secure site via Transport Layer
Security (TLS) and capture the packets to confirm that they are indeed scrambled beyond their
ability to reconstruct.

Proceedings of the ASEE New England Section 2006 Annual Conference. Copyright 2006 12


Figure 9 - Ethereal screen shot showing packet capture.
The students then join a Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) protected wireless network and try to
capture that WEP data, again observing the encrypted nature. Using Netstumbler

software,
the cadets are able to scan and observe the available channels, relative power and protected status
of various networks. Finally ad-hoc networks are employed between pre-determined pairs of
cadets to show the relative ease of setting up networks and transferring data.
The Debate
In place of a fifth lab, the authors attempted to incorporate the strengths of the non-technical
students with the course objectives. Specifically, we wanted something to reinforce the Using
Technology and Big Brother classroom topics. Debating issues with current relevance
effectively demonstrated technological applications, engineering trade-offs, and ethical issues
created by the rapid advancement of technology. The debates allowed for active participation of
all group members, while retaining the courses technological emphasis with the addition of a
critical thinking component.

We conducted research and decided to use the standard Parliamentary Debate format (with some
modifications) as this style provided the best format to ensure equal participation by all students.
Both the National Parliamentary Debate Association and the Debate Central websites were
excellent resources in developing the debates [4], [5]. The students were provided these
Proceedings of the ASEE New England Section 2006 Annual Conference. Copyright 2006 13

references because they gave excellent suggestions on debating rules, etiquette and technique.
The format developed is in Table 1.

Table 1: Modified Parliamentary Debate Format
Speaker Time Contents
1
st
Proponent
Speech 6 Minutes
Outlines teams position, provides initial arguments
supporting the topic
1
st
Opposition
Speech 7 Minutes
Outlines teams position, counters proponents
initial arguments & provides initial arguments
against the topic.
2
nd
Proponent
Speech 7 Minutes
Continues development in support of the topic;
responds to oppositions criticism.
2
nd
Opposition
Speech 7 Minutes
Continues development against the topic; responds
to proponents criticism.
Question Period
15 - 20
Minutes
Questions from the audience to either team;
answers limited to 40 seconds with a 30 second
rebuttal by the opposing team.
3
rd
Opposition
Speech 4 Minutes Summarizes oppositions case.
3
rd
Proponent
Speech 5 Minutes Summarizes proponents case.

The two major differences to the standard debate format that were introduced were a separate
person gave each speech and the addition of a question period. The question period allowed the
involvement of the students in the audience, forced the debaters to think on their feet and
allowed the instructors to ask pressing technical questions of the debaters. To ensure that the
debates would be competitive and to avoid group-think as much as possible, students were
assigned to three-member teams based upon a cross-section of GPAs and majors.

Each team was then allowed to submit a request for a debate topic from a given list (Appendix B
provides a list of example topics). These topics were developed by the instructors to tie into the
classroom topics and also are topics that are already debated in society, or very easily could be.
Some suggested references were given for each debate to help the students start their research.

To ensure proper preparations and a sufficient technological slant, a talking points paper was
required one week before the debate. This 3-5 page paper includes at least 4 arguments
defending the teams position, at least 4 arguments against the teams position, and rebuttals to
these opposing arguments. As this is a technical course, at least one of the arguments had to
address the technical aspects of the topic. Each argument had to be supported with enough
references to demonstrate the team had done sufficient research.

Each team is graded by the students and instructors using a grade sheet developed from the
research on debating [6]. The grades are based upon the team members knowledge, teamwork,
debate style, and effectiveness of their arguments. A final 10-point bonus is awarded to the team
that won the debate.

Proceedings of the ASEE New England Section 2006 Annual Conference. Copyright 2006 14

Conclusion

These laboratory exercises are innovative methods of applying the material in four categories of
basic electrical and computer engineering technologies: image processing, signal processing,
electronic navigation and computer networks. These four areas are important aspects of
education as technology accelerates and causes unforeseen changes. These labs provide the
students with the foundation necessary to make evaluations based on sound technological
principles.

The primary purpose of exercises are to reinforce, enhance expand the understanding of the
course material. Student feedback has shown that these new labs are accomplishing this goal.
The students are learning more about the technologies they use everyday. They also indicate that
the debates have become one of their favorite, if nerve-wracking, parts of the entire course.

Students with open minds in an enjoyable experience are apt to learn more. Making the labs
meaningful to their everyday life and showing applications to their future use, creates a better
learning environment. Ensuring the labs fun makes the cadets want to stay longer and play
with their newfound tools and if they learn something in the process, so much the better.

References

[1] D. Godfrey and J. Staier, A New Approach to Teaching Introduction to Electrical
Engineering at the United States Coast Guard Academy, American Society of
Engineering Educators National Conference, June 2006, Pending
[2] DSSF3 Realtime Analyzer, version 5.0.6.7, Yoshimasa Electronic Inc, 2000 -
2003, available at http://www.ymec.com/products/dssf3e/.
[3] Audacity, version 1.2.3, Audacity Development Team, available at
http://audacity.sourceforge.net.
[4] NPDA Rules of Debating, National Parliamentary Debate Website, 2005, available at
http://cas.bethel.edu/dept/comm/npda/npdarules.html. (accessed on 25 February 2006).
[5] Robert Branham and John Meany, Parliamentary Debate, 1998, available at
http://debate.uvm.edu/meanyparli.html. (accessed on 25 February 2006)
[6] Robert T. Hitlan, Grading Rubric for Instructor Evaluation of Debate Team, University of
Northern Iowa Website, available at
http://www.uni.edu/~hitlan/motivation_debate_page_spring2004.htm. (accessed on 25
February 2006).

Proceedings of the ASEE New England Section 2006 Annual Conference. Copyright 2006 15

Biographies

Joseph Staier, MSIT, is an assistant professor at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (USCGA). He
graduated from USCGA with his BSEE in 1992 and earned his MSIT from Naval Post Graduate
School in 1996. He holds the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Coast Guard.

Address: U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Department of Engineering, 27 Mohegan Ave., New
London, CT 06320-8101; telephone: 860-444-8541; fax: 860-444-8546; e-mail:
jstaier@exmail.uscga.edu.

David Godfrey, MSEE, PE, is an assistant professor at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy
(USCGA). He graduated from USCGA with his BSEE in 1992 and earned his MSEE from
University of Rhode Island in 1997. He holds the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the U.S.
Coast Guard.

Address: U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Department of Engineering, 27 Mohegan Ave., New
London, CT 06320-8101; telephone: 860-444-8536; fax: 860-444-8546; e-mail:
dgodfrey@exmail.uscga.edu.

Dr. Gregory Johnson is a Senior Program Manger at Alion Science & Technology, JJMA
Maritime Sector. He heads up the New London, CT office which provides research and
engineering support to the Coast Guard Academy. He graduated from the Coast Guard Academy
with a BS in Electrical Engineering in 1987. He received his MS in Electrical Engineering in
1993 from Northeastern University and a PhD in Electrical Engineering at the University of
Rhode Island in 2005. He is a former instructor of the Introduction to Electrical Engineering
course.

Address: Alion Science and Technology, JJMA Maritime Sector, 216 Broad St., Ste 204, New
London, CT 06320; telephone: 860-608-4669; fax: 860-701-0295; e-mail:
gwjohnson@alionscience.com.
APPENDIX A

Proceedings of the ASEE New England Section 2006 Annual Conference. Copyright 2006 16

LAB OBJECTIVES

The following list outlines the learning objectives for each of the new Introduction to Electrical
and Computer Engineering labs.

LAB I - Image Processing Lab:
Understand the difference between digital and optical zoom and the limitations of
digital zoom.
Understand the relationship between the numbers of pixels and resolution.
Understand how some common image compression algorithms work.
Explain the difference between lossless and lossy compression.
Explain what information is lost during lossy compression and why discarding
information doesnt (necessarily) make an image unusable.
Given two similar images, demonstrate the ability to differentiate between them.
Demonstrate an ability to enhance an image to recover useful information.
Understand some limitations of facial recognition software.
Understand the applications of steganography.

LAB II Signal Procession Lab:
Demonstrate the ability to differentiate between the time and frequency domain
representations of an audio signal and explain the advantages of both representations.
Understand how the time domain representation can be used to isolate words in a
sentence. Perform some basic signal processing techniques to modify an audio file.
Observe the time and frequency-domain representations of the human voice and
music files from various sources (Radio, CD, MP3 file). Understand the required
bandwidth, frequencies and harmonics associated with these audio signals.
Observe a demonstration of the information that the phone company filters from your
voice during a phone conversation.
Understand how the frequency domain representation can be used to isolate noise and
filters can be used to remove the noise.
Demonstrate the ability to identify desired frequency ranges from a frequency domain
representation of an audio signal.
Understand two purposes of voice recognition software identifying words and
identifying individuals. Use voice recognition software.

LAB III Electronic Navigation Lab:
Understand the basics of how the Global Positioning System (GPS) operates and its
accuracy and sources of error.
Understand the basics of how the Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS)
operates and how it improves the accuracy of GPS.
Understand the basics of how the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS)
operates and how it improves the accuracy of GPS.
Understand the basics of how the Long Range Navigation (LORAN) system operates
and its accuracy and sources of error.
Observe the difference in the position accuracies of the four radionavigation systems.
APPENDIX A

Proceedings of the ASEE New England Section 2006 Annual Conference. Copyright 2006 17

Understand the advantages and disadvantages of using each system, when and why
each system would be used and why the Federal Radionavigation Plan requires all
these positioning systems.

LAB IV Computer Networks Lab:
Understand the set up of a wireless network.
Be able to create an ad hoc wireless network.
Be able to use some tools to view packets.
Understand packets and Ethernet transfers.
Understand the difference between encrypted and clear text transmissions.
Compare and contrast Bluetooth with IEEE 802.11.
Tour USCGA Information Services (IS) Facilities.

LAB V Debates:
Participate in a discussion on how technology has been applied to contemporary
issues, especially Homeland Security problems in a post 9/11 world.
Participate in a discussion that demonstrates that although technology can benefit
society, it may come at the expense of individual liberties. Be able to use the basic
skills of critical thinking to weigh the costs and benefits of using technology.
Develop writing and oral presentation skills by researching a contemporary
technology topic, prepare a written report outlining the issue, listen thoughtfully to
oral arguments, respect diverse opinions, and formulate reasoned alternatives and
responses.


APPENDIX B

Proceedings of the ASEE New England Section 2006 Annual Conference. Copyright 2006 18

A PARTIAL LIST OF DEBATE TOPICS PROVIDED TO THE STUDENTS
Debate I Video Surveillance: Security vs. Privacy
! You are a member of the local city council and you are proposing that video surveillance
cameras be installed on street corners in high crime areas to be monitored by the local
police department.

! It is inappropriate to install video surveillance equipment in the home or office to monitor
employees performance (e.g., a baby sitter at home) without their knowledge.

! It is appropriate for stores to install video surveillance equipment anywhere in the store,
including restrooms, to prevent shoplifting.

! You are members of the security staff for a major sporting event. You are requesting
permission to install cameras with facial recognition software at all entrances to look for
suspected terrorists.

Debate II Monitoring Movement
! It is appropriate for rental companies to use cars equipped with GPS navigation systems
to determine if drivers exceed the speed limit, and place a surcharge on the rental if they
do.

! It is inappropriate for parents/spouses to use a cell-phones GPS to surreptitiously
monitor the movements of family members.

! You are a member of a Coast Guard team presenting a recommendation to the COMDT
to improve our Homeland Security mission by implementing a policy of taking digital
pictures and finger prints of all crewmembers and passengers during Coast Guard High
Interest Vessel security boardings.
Debate III Internet Use and Security
! You are a member of congress and are proposing removal of the Patriot Acts broad
authority to monitor an individuals use of the Internet.

! It is inappropriate for parents to demand the computer logs from schools or libraries to
see which sites their children are visiting.

! It is appropriate for someone to connect to and use any wireless server, even if they have
not received permission from the owner.

! You are a member of congress and are proposing that Law Enforcement officers be able
to use computer programs to look for key words in Internet communications (e.g., FBIs
Carnivore system) without a warrant and open an investigation if they find something
suspicious.