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The most common problems of students attending courses of optoelectronics are discussed in the presented paper. On the basis of these problems, three computer programs for the computer-aided education (CAE) in optoelectronics have been developed to support the student's understanding of complex phenomena. 'Gaussian Beam' serves for simulations and computations in paraxial optics, 'Optical Fiber' is used for visualization of the electromagnetic field distribution in an optical fiber, and 'General Dielectric Waveguide' performs the full-wave finite-element analysis of arbitrary longitudinally homogenous waveguiding structures. All the programs have been designed for Windows'95 with the emphasis on unified user's managing. Index Terms - Computer-aided education, fiber optics, optical waveguides, paraxial optics.

A senior-level design laboratory course is described, in which an optical fiber communication network is expanded or improved by successive generations of students. In this evolutionary approach, student teams base their work on the final written reports of students in previous course offerings. In addition to its primary goal of providing a high-level technical experience, the course requires multidisciplinary teamwork and provides incentive for the development of effective oral and written communication skills. Results of four offerings of the course are presented. Index Terms - Capstone design, fiber optics, interdisciplinary design, optical communications.

The topic of optical fibres has been included in sciences education in the UK but it is unclear what should be taught. British Telecommunications PLC has supported a workshop on optical fibres based at the Salford Education Centre. The simple apparatus allows for the practical demonstration of the properties and uses of optical fibres. Details of the experiments are presented.

Nonlinear mixing between the longitudinal modes of multimode laser pulses is used to illustrate the effects of nonlinear crosstalk in multichannel communication systems. The results of the experiments are compared with a simple theoretical model that was described in a recent article. The article concludes with suggestions for experiments in nonlinear fiber optics for undergraduate and masters students.

The potential of optical fibers can be taught to undergraduate students using experiments based on a miniaturized Michelson-type interferometer that is relatively insensitive to temperature drifts and a two-mode sensor used in a differential interferometric sensing scheme. These stable phase-modulated sensors can be constructed by the students and used in experiments which test the stability of the miniaturized interferometric sensor; detect surface acoustic waves generated on a metal bar; and detect static strain. Other applications are the measurement of external perturbation manifested as microdisplacement and vibration and pressure sensing.

Portable fiber-optic probe equipped multichannel spectrophotometers are being used in undergraduate education. With this instrument, live spectra are easily viewed by students in the classroom and the combination of visual observation of fluorescence phenomena with live spectral acquisition provides for a powerful lecture demonstration.

The Somerset County Technical School (SCTI) in New Jersey began offering a fiber optics program for both vocational and college students in 1992. The program is a business-education partnership between SCTI, AT&T and the electricians' union Local 358. SCTI believes that the demand for fiber optic installations will grow exponentially in the late 1990s. It plans to expand facilities to accommodate more students and to be able to offer daytime classes. The night classes of the present program is so much in demand that it has 200 people on the waiting list.