Computer-Based Training Tool for Signals and Systems Exercises

A computer-based training tool has been developed for the Signals and Systems undergraduate course for students. It consists of an automatic problem generator and an automatic self-assessment system that can be used by the students as many times as they want. The students use the tool to generate a numerical variation of a problem, solve it, and use the tool again to answer a series of questions that are automatically assessed. The proposed problem comprises the continuous-time-domain characterization of a linear and time invariant system and its Fourier and Laplace domain analysis. The tool was used during the academic year 2009/2010 by a group of 19 students, and their grades in a final exam were compared with those of a similar group of 17 students who did not use the tool. On a 0-10 scale, the mean and standard deviation of the grades of students who used the tool were 6.5 and 1.8, respectively, whereas the mean and standard deviation of the grades of the student who did not use this tool were 5.1 and 2.6, respectively. The analysis of variance of both sets of marks yields to a p = 0.05 value. The tool can also be used by the teacher as a computer-based assessment system.