Overview

ECE 102 Engineering Computation introduces the principles of engineering analysis to students, with special emphasis on electrical engineering applications. The computation aspect comes from using Python as a software tool to assist in solving math and engineering problems. In addition to using Python as a simple calculator, students learn the fundamentals of computer programming using Python as the language.

Course structure:

• Lectures

• Homework

• Labs

• Exams

• Project

A formal course description can be found here:

https://www.pdx.edu/electrical-computer-engineering/ece-102-engineering-computation

Required TA Skills

1. You need a solid background in engineering problem solving.

2. You should know how to solve basic DC circuit problems. This includes applying Ohm's law to series/parallel resistive circuits and voltage dividers. You should be comfortable using node-voltage and mesh-current analysis techniques to solve for the DC steady-state operating point of very simple circuits.

3. Having a strong background in Python fundamentals and programming is a major requirement. If you are not fully fluent in Python, you should have at least a good background in a related language such as C/C++ and be able to bring yourself up to speed on Python quickly. If your programming skills are weak, then you should not apply for this TA position.

4. You need to be comfortable talking to and working with students on both an individual and group basis.

TA Responsibilities

ECE 102 teaching assistants are required to:

1. Attend labs during the term. Each week, the TA is responsible for two 3-hour lab sections (total = 6 hours/week).

2. Help students during each lab session and grade their submitted lab reports. There may be an undergraduate student assistant to help with the labs.

3. Grade homework sets. Some involve reviewing and testing code, while others require scoring traditional engineering analysis problems.

4. Upload student scores and feedback to D2L.

5. Assist the instructor during competency testing, which occurs twice a term and may take 4 to 6 hours each. They are usually scheduled on a Friday.

6. Hold office hours for 2 hours per week.

Verifying Your Qualifications

To help determine the most qualified applicants, the course instructor will ask you to do the following:

• Send a current résumé (C.V.) to the instructor by e-mail.

• Be interviewed by the instructor. You will be asked to answer basic Python programming and circuit analysis questions.