2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Introductory electrical engineering courses play a critical role in shaping students’ interest and engagement in the discipline. These foundational courses often influence students’ choice of major and, more specifically, their focus areas within electrical engineering. This work-in-progress paper describes the structure and instructional components of ECE 3072: Electric Energy Systems, an introductory power and energy course taught in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The paper summarizes the existing teaching strategies and highlights two new elements introduced in the Fall 2025 semester aimed at improving student engagement and participation. The course employs multiple modes of instruction, including interactive lectures, in-class discussions, audio-visual demonstrations, and comprehensive homework sets. To further enhance learning outcomes and stimulate critical thinking, two novel activities were incorporated: an in-class debate and an industry guest talk. The debate was conducted at the conclusion of the Renewable Energy module, where students were assigned to advocate for investment in solar, nuclear, or natural gas technologies using the state of Georgia as a case study. The industry talk, delivered by a representative from the IEEE Power and Energy Workforce Initiative, connected classroom concepts to real-world applications and career pathways in the power sector. Preliminary feedback from students indicated high levels of satisfaction, particularly noting the effectiveness of the debate and the relevance of the industry session. Future iterations of the course will integrate additional components focused on engineering ethics and the application of artificial intelligence in power and energy systems to further enrich the learning experience.