Innovative Workbench as an Instructional Tool for Basic Electronics

Abstract

Industrial Arts is an undergraduate course that involves manual skills development. It is challenging for both teachers and students to work in the absence of a standard working table in the laboratory in testing, soldering, and troubleshooting electronics devices. Laboratory learning task requires fixed and stable equipment and measuring instruments in dealing with actual circuitry for safety. Thus, this study aimed to fabricate and determine the acceptability of the electronic workbench as an innovative instructional tool. The product was evaluated by teachers and students using a survey questionnaire in terms of durability, function, style and design, usability, and transportability. Results showed that the electronic workbench was acceptable. Durability, purpose, style and design, and usability were rated as very acceptable among teachers while transportability was rated as highly acceptable. Amongst students all the criteria were rated as highly acceptable.  Both students and teachers have found other features of the instructional tool such as having organized drawers to store the different tools, materials and equipment used for basic electronics activities to be very useful. Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that the innovative electronic workbench was found to be safe and acceptable for instructional use in the laboratory.