`Teach yourself´ signal processing at University College London

The author describes a set of `teach yourself´ tutorial guides used by undergraduates in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at University College London. The tutorials are based on the PC MATLAB matrix and vector handling package and students work through them in their own time. Their use in the teaching of sampled signals in digital signal processing is discussed. They provide a working knowledge of sampled signals and spectra and of data filtering and smoothing, including a statistical goodness-of-fit test for model validation. The advanced material reinforces lecture courses by providing graphical visualisations of convolution, sampled data systems and the z-transform. The author presents examples of teaching material and exercises from the tutorials, but first discusses their context within an overall strategy for student education and development in electronic and electrical engineering, which is ultimately shaped by the IEE accreditation requirements