There is an interesting paper posted in the famous Arxiv hosted by Cornell University Library, “Redesigning a junior-level electronics course to support engagement in scientific practices,” by H.J. Lewandowski and Noah Finkelstein of the University of Colorado Boulder. See http://arxiv.org/abs/1507.03925.
The course syllabus is at http://www.colorado.edu/physics/phys3330/phys3330_sp14/phys3330_syllabus_sp14.pdf and demonstrates a successful course in measurable outcomes of student engagement and retention of the concepts. The course does not require a textbook.
This is another example of a course redesigned to be more effective and became more affordable for students because of faculty who wanted to give their students hands-on practice in doing science.
