If our students are to learn from our courses, we must first ensure that they want to and are prepared to. Their progress will depend on their motivation. It is useful to identify any factors which may give students a negative attitude towards a course. This section describes how this was done in the electrical fundamentals unit. With these factors combined, it was understandable that they were not enthusiastic about electrical fundamentals.
Students are people.
They want to see tangible benefits from their efforts. The first step in improving the course was to address these underlying issues. The engineering regulations could not be changed so the immediate solution was to discuss the issues openly in class. In the first lecture, students are now told exactly why they are doing this unit, and how it relates to the major course of study they have chosen. The relationship between this unit and their other subjects is reinforced wherever possible throughout the semester.