On Satellite Communications Course Reform in
Universities of 211 Project
Xia kewen,Zhang zhiwei
School of Information Engineering
Hebei University of Technology
Tianjin, China
[e-mail], [e-mail]
Liu jianfei, Chi yue
School of Information Engineering
Hebei University of Technology
Tianjin, China
[e-mail], [e-mail]
Abstract—Satellite communications is not only a key technical for students who major in information subject must
know well, but also a satellitecultural background course at the information age. Based on the currentsituation and
characteristics of Universities of 211 Project, such as teaching objectives,course settings, and too much categories of
professional courses but class hour reduced. From the point of view of teaching contents and methods, the reform contents
and the characteristic requirements of the satellite communications course are presented, especially, the proposed reform
to satellite communications materials and experimental content can meet the needsof the new times.
Keywords-Course ReformSatellite CommunicationsUniversities of 211 Project
1. Introduction
Satellite communications is a developed new way to
communicate that in the widely integrated use of various
communications theory and technology based on the
terrestrial microwave communications and space
technology, and it is animportant achievement of
modern communications technology. Compared with
other meansof communication,satellite communications
has someincomparable advantages.Afterdecadesof
development, it has become one of the most powerful
modern means of communication, and be universally
applied in international communications, domestic
communications, defensecommunications, mobile
communications, broadcasttelevision andother fields.
The satellite communications courseis not only a key
technology forthe students majorin communications
engineering, electronic information engineering and
other similar professional subjects must master, but also
a cultural background courseof satellite at the
information age. Presently, many colleges and
universities in China, has opened satellite
communications course in electronic and
communications kinds of professionals. The currently
used course materials mostly are writtenbyLiu
Guoliang[1], Wu Shiqi[2], Wang Bingjun[3], Gan
Liang[4], GanLiangcai[5]andZhang Naitong[6]etc,
respectively. Severalcolleges are alsouse materials
abroad, such as satellite communications, compiled by
Timothy Pratt etc[7]. But these can not meet the needs of
advanced undergraduates inthe new situationof the
information age, because their contents are already
outdated, redundancy, and there are too many repetitions
with former course such as Communications Theory,
parallel courses such asMobile Communicationsand
Communications Network etc. neither do they reflect the
rapidly developmentof various satellitecommunications
systems nor many other issues.
Considering the characteristics of Universitiesof 211
project, such as the teaching objectives, course settings,
and too much categoriesof professional courses but class
hour reduced,we putforward some ideasfor course
reform insatellite communications,in order tocompile
the teaching materials and experimental content
appropriately, design multimediateaching system
perfectly, fully embodies the characteristics of
application oriented undergraduateeducation to improve
the students' ability of analyzing and solving problem.
2. Problems needto be solved in
Satellite communications course
A.The handling of the teaching content
First, Satellite communications coursecombines
completed courses and follow-up courses. It general
reviews and applies the relevant content of completed
courses in Satellite communications course, while hints
the possible application of knowledge in thefollow-up
courses promptly if necessary;focused explanation and
adequate practicing, increases the examples
appropriately, analyzes and demonstrates the typical
difficult assignmentproblems; helps students eliminate
embarrassed emotion, promotes and mobilizes students'
positive thinking and potential ability to give thema
profoundly innovationnurtured.
Second,Union thetheoretical teaching and practical
teaching. Inthe process of theoreticalteaching, should
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related withpractical engineeringas much as possible, to
stimulate students'interests inlearning, sothat can
effectively reducethe actualdistance betweenbook
knowledge and production / research.
B.Improvements in teaching methods
First, Adopt heuristic teaching and eliminate
injection teaching in theoretical content. In class, teacher
should pay attention to fully communicate with students,
that istosay, studentsfollowteacher's way ofthinking,
step by step,and acceptknowledge. Teachergoes with
students' facial expressions, read students and their mood,
master the understanding / accepting level.
Second, Rational and scientific use multimedia
teaching methods. Make the electronic courseware be
clear, concise, visualize, excellent in both pictures and
literary compositions, knowledge and difficultypoints be
lucid; Make the teaching organization be lively, vibrant,
fascinating, andplayed an assistantrole forassisted
teaching,sssisted learningand stimulatetheenthusiasm
of students,so that can effectivelyimprove teaching
effectiveness, and expand students’ scope of the
knowledge.
Third, Selection onexperimental content, pay
attention to the experimental process. Satellite
communications experiment is an important learning
understanding link of the satellitecommunications that
consolidate and deepen the content of classroom
teaching. Therefore, we must attachimportance to the
design and implementation of the experimental content,
thereby enhancing students' cognitive abilities of high-
tech products aswellas practicalability,cultivatinga
scientific style.
3. Course reform contents and
Characteristics requirements
C.Reform Objectives
Course reform Objectives areto make the students
master the basic principle and key technologyof satellite
communications, and improve the cultivation of students'
applicationability and innovationconsciousness, tomeet
the talents market demand.
D.ReformContents
First, TeachingContents: follow theprinciples of
necessity, creativity, scientifically and feasibility, serious
research andcarefully refinethe coursecontent of
satellite communications, makeit to be comprehensive,
concise, systematic and scientific.
Second,Teachingmethods: Toexplorethe more
reasonable and effective teaching means and methods,
careful select the experimental course content, rational
organize theexperimental teaching, andtomake the
theoretical teachingand practicalteaching combined
organically.
Third, Teaching materials: Compile the materials
supporting the syllabus,and strive to make the concepts
and principles bestrictly elaborated,accurate,concise,
moderate theory, rich of examples and systematic, and
avoid repeat withother courses. Embody the principles
of scientific, systematic, integrity, and advanced, explain
the profound but writing in simple terms, illustrated,
step-by-step, easybe understoodand self-learned, and
design a perfect multimedia courseware.
E.Characteristics requirements
(1) View from the training: Satellite communications
should be consistent with thecharacteristics and
requirements in Universities of 211 Projectsin China,
such as teaching objectives, coursesettings, various
professional courses but classhour reduced, make
satellite communications to truly become the compulsory
satellite cultural background coursefor electronic and
communications undergraduates in the information age.
(2) From teaching purposes: Under the course
teaching, let students tomaster the basic concepts and
main technologiesof the satellitecommunications
systems, establishthe completeconcept of the
communicationssystems, andto understand the current
development of satellite communications.
(3) Fromrelativebasic course: Thiscourse issetup
for thesenior atthe University,thereare some
completed courses, such as Signals and Linear Systems,
Digital Signal Processingand CommunicationsTheory.
Therefore, the selected material and teaching are not
duplication, that is,streamline thecompleted course
contents, and cancommence in parallel with the Mobile
Communications,CommunicationsNetwork,and other
courses.
(4) Fromteachinghours and teachingmethods:Due
to the class hours ofdesignatedcourses ingeneral
compression within32-36 hours,too less for the content,
teaching materialsdo compiled andrefined to simplify
the theoretical derivation and graphic description. Multi-
media electronic courseware can alsobe appliedfor
teaching.
(5) From teaching contents: Selected content must be
comprehensive and concise, systematic and scientific.
Textbook maybe divided into five chapters.Chapter I
Summary ˈrepresent the basic concepts,working
principle, and development ofthe state at domesticand
abroad of satellite communications systematically.
Chapter II Satellite communications technology, a
comprehensive expositionof the signal design
technology, signal processingtechnology and multiple
access technology in satellite communications,
streamline theduplicationof the completed courses.
Chapter IIISatelliteCommunicationsLinkDesign,
meticulousintroduce everysectioncalculationin link
design, outstanding the general procedure for the satellite
communicationssystems design.ChapterIV Satellite
CommunicationsNetwork, describe the network
structure of the satellite communications network,
This work is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of
China (No.60972106)andTianjinNatural Science Foundation
(No.11JCYBJC00900).
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terrestrial communications network links, and VSAT
satellite communications network, highlighting the
complete conception of communicationssystems.
Chapter VMobileSatellite CommunicationsSystems,
introduce a variety of new mobile satellite
communicationssystems and developments, in orderto
reach the purpose ofopen eyes andimprove innovation
sense.
To this end, we accumulated long-term experience in
teaching, and applied it in satellite communications
teaching materials preparationfor Universitiesof 211
Project [8],its contentof teaching arrangementsshown
in Table 1.At present, this publishedtextbook is widely
used in countrywide and gets avery good affection
feedback.
(6) From the experimental content arrangements:
Experiment is an important understanding session of
learning satellite communications,which can help
students to consolidate and deepen the content of
classroom teaching,enhance students' cognitiveand
practical abilities of high-tech products, andfoster a
scientific style. Therefore, we must attach importance to
the experimental design and implementation in the
course. if experimental coursescan be set to 6-8 hours,
for example, can be arranged in accordance with Table 2
shows, thecontentof these experimentsenablestudents
to master the debugging of satellite signals, installation
of satelliteantenna, aswell assatellite positioning
technology.
TABLE I.CLASSROOM TEACHING CONTENT FOR SATELLITE
TABLE II.EXPERIMENTAL CONTENT OF SATELLITE
COMMUNICATIONS
4. Summary
Considering the Universities of 211 Project’s
teaching objectives, course settings, and too much
categories of professional courses butclass hours
reduced, we must explorethebetter suitable teaching
contents and methods for undergraduates, and organize
experimental teachingrationally,make thetheoretical
teaching and practical teaching combined organically.
Appropriate coursematerials, well-designedmultimedia
teaching systemsandexplore a more rationaland
effective teaching means and methods are necessary. In
orderto enablestudents tomasterthe basicprinciples of
satellite communications,key technologies, and its
developmenttrend, we must strengthen thecultivation of
students' application skills and sense of innovation, to
accommodate the demands of today's talentmarket.
5. Acknowledgment
Acknowledgments:This work issupportedby
National NaturalScienceFoundation ofChina
(No.60972106) and Tianjin Natural ScienceFoundation
(No.11JCYBJC00900).
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