CAT: computer assisted teaching in magnetics

Starting with the 3/sup rd/ academic year the students taking electrical energy as their major subject at the K.U. Leuven are following theoretical lectures and laboratory sessions supporting the basic knowledge on the finite element method (FEM). The numerical sessions take place in front of workstations. The students are working with commercial FEM program packages and the numerical sessions are always followed by a practical laboratory measurements. Here, the students have to measure the beforehand computed results such as currents, induced voltage and inductances of simple magnetic circuits. In the following 4/sup th/ academic year more complex tasks are demanded such as computations of DC machines or AC induction machines. For a better insight into the physical behaviour and to make the field solutions of induction machines understandable, a multimedia software program is available to the students distributed via the Internet. The methodology of the step by step approach of computer assisted teaching, performed at the K.U. Leuven, to transfer the knowledge of the complex numerical field computation techniques are discussed.