It's time to take a systems approach

I am hoping that most of you are familiar with what I am saying in the title above. I have been hearing something like this for a year or more now from industry and the colleges. In fact, I am one of the ones who has been saying it over and over again in talks and articles. For those of you who have not heard it, or for those of you who want to know more, read on.

Our current approach to teaching electronics technology to train techs has been the same forever. DC, AC, solid state components, circuits, digital and so on. I don't see the need to change the topics all that much but the emphasis is all wrong for today. We need to teach more systems oriented topics and less detailed circuit analysis and design. Here's why.

First, techs do not design. At least most of them do not. The dozen or so engineering techs left in the US at this time may do some simple design, but for the most part that is the job of the engineer, not the tech. When will you community college instructors realize that?

Second, there are fewer and fewer discrete component circuits in use today. Virtually everything is in an IC these days. Sure there are a few discrete component designs but they fall into the category of high power or high voltage. Yet, everyone insists on teaching detailed bias networks for bipolars and FETs when we rarely ever see any of these. No one ever has to deal with these on the job today. We waste a huge amount of time on such topics and neglect some of the more important system level topics.

Third, we all work at the system level today. We work with large scale ICs, PC boards, modules, and equipment more than discrete component circuits. We repair by replacing ICs or boards and not by troubleshooting to the component level. It is not economically viable any more. Only a few still need to do this.

Fourth, the military shifted to a systems approach with all their techs years ago by gradually eliminating all that excruitatingly detailed circuit analysis. Who needs it any way?

What I am advocating is not totally throwing away circuit descriptions but just eliminating all that detail in design and analysis that no one ever needs or uses. Explain how things work, then teach specifications, standards, and how to test. Keep the discussions at the system level, more block diagrams and signal flow analysis. More big picture theory and how it works as opposed to nitty gritty circuit details.

For those of us who work in industry it is easy to see that this is what should be done. Trying to convince you electronic instructors that change is needed is a tough thing to do because you do not see or recognize the huge changes that have occurred over the years. I don't blame you because you have your hands full teaching. But you cannot continue to ignore the fact that things are no longer like it was when you went to school or when you had your industry experience. It is an amazingly different world. And you need to adjust the curriculum and courses to it.

I am teaching a solid state course this semester and believe me I am trying hard to break the old habits of teaching BJT biasing details and trying to emphasize those things that are relevant. It has not been easy for me. Besides, the textbooks are still locked into the past. The book I am using has a 2007 copyright on it but it is still teaching all that detail that no one uses and omits critical new topics outright. (Switching amplifiers, switching power supplies, etc.)

Until we get some new texts I suspect that most of you will continue on the same path. Just start thinking about how you would update the courses you teach. Bring the level up from circuits to systems. Use more ICs and shift the focus to real world techniques. You are short changing your students or at least giving them a warped view of things. You are teaching the history of electronics rather than the current technology.

I will have some more specific suggestions for you in the future, but just start at least thinking about this problem and how you can be part of the solution.