In teaching disciplines such as acoustics, construction physics and mechanical engineering, students have to learn the basic principles of measurement systems and how signals are processed. To help them acquire a sound working knowledge, it is useful to explain different measurement and analysis processes by demonstrating practical examples. This should be done using tools that offer the highest possible degree of flexibility and parameterization. These allow the influence of different sampling rates and filter functions to be visualized while taking measurements, for instance.

Teaching and Learning with PAK

Different windowing and averaging scenarios and block durations can be flexibly varied with PAK software, which permits differences in the time and frequency domain of analyses to be clearly illustrated. Alongside standard FFT analyses, it is advisable to teach other methods such as

• psychoacoustic analyses
• rotational speed-based analyses
• transfer functions (for example from impact measurements)
• or even simple averaging methods.

In doing so, attention should be focused on the methodology, and as little time as possible should be invested in the renewed implementation of traditionally used algorithms or even graphic presentation methods. A powerful and flexible tool like the PAK software helps teaching institutions to do this.