Introduction

1. Principles about learning

Learning is an acquired skill, and the most effective strategies are often counterintuitive.^[1]

Learning is deeper and more durable when it’s effortful.
We are poor judges of when we are learning well and when we’re not.
Rereading text and rapid repetition of new knowledge are the preferred study strategies of students, but are among the least effective. They promote feelings of fluency that are mistaken for signs of mastery, but are more often a waste of time.
Retrieval practice (trying to remember) is much more effective.
When you space out practice, getting a little rusty between sessions, or interleave two or more subjects, retrieval is harder and feels less productive, but the effort produces longer laster learning.
Trying to solve a problem before being taught the solution leads to better learning, even when you make errors in the attempt.^[2]
We are all susceptible to illusions that hijack our judgement of what we know and can do. Testing is a tool that identifies our (perhaps blind) areas of weakness.^[3]

How does this relate to an upper level course in power electronics?

The course heavily relies on quickly recalling basic facts about circuit components like inductors and capacitors, and fundamental properties of linear circuits.

One cannot apply what one knows in a practical manner if one does not know anything to apply.

— R.J. Sternberg et al.
Styles of learning and thinking matter in instruction and assessment, Perspectives on Psychological Science 3 (2008), 486—506.

As we cover new topics in the course, we will continually review old things by needing to use it. We will also use Orbit, a new tool that automatically gives flashcards to review at the best intervals. The tool is easy to use and takes very little time but is most useful when you do the reviews the day you receive the reminder emails.

Orbit is embedded in a website next to the material to learn and works like this (the order is important!):

Read the prompt and think of the answer.
Yes … actually try to remember the answer.
Click “Show answer”
Honestly tell whether you remembered or forgot.

Your response is used to calculate the optimal time you should see this prompt next. Lazily always clicking Forgotten will make you review more cards than necessary. Always choosing Remembered may mean that you get so little spaced practice that you never remember.^[4]

2. Energy and power conversion

At its root, the field of power electronics is all about converting and managing electric power and energy. These circuits convert electric power from one form to another (think ac and dc) using semiconductor devices (the electronics part) Related is the topic “Electric Machines” which has to do with conversion of energy between electrical and mechanical forms, such as a motor or generator.

It is common to have a power electronics circuit connected to an electric machine to control and manage the conversion process.

You may be familiar with the sort of diagram in Figure 1 from a signals and systems perspective, but the quantities here are power signals as opposed to voltage or current signals.

Figure 1. A source and load interfaced by a converter.

Figure 2. Converter classifications.

Figure 3. Concept map of power electronics

1. This and the following list is adapted from the book Make It Stick — The Science of Successful Learning by Brown, Roediger III, and McDaniel.

2. This is a common complaint about a Prof. White course. Unfortunately, for you, I am more concerned about your learning than your happiness with me, especially when many research studies point in the opposite direction.

3. Testing here means homework, quizzes, flashcards, etc. — situations where you need to recall and act on your knowledge.

4. Your time is valuable and basic game theory says that your winning strategy is to just be truthful.