Digital Systems Course Research Articles

Effective Learner-Centered Approach for Teaching an Introductory Digital Systems Course

In the Internet era, students have increasingly lost interest in traditional lectures; as a consequence, their learning motivation and exam performance have decreased. The widespread adoption of learner-centered teaching methods that address this issue faces certain barriers, including: 1) the significant faculty effort necessary to prepare e-learning materials; 2) significant extra time required for active online communication with students; 3) student resistance to taking an active role in their education; and 4) lecturers’ common belief that learner-centered teaching activities do not allow discussion of all the required topics. This paper presents a case study based on one offering of an introductory digital systems course taught with a combination of learner-centered strategies selected to overcome these barriers and improve student performance. These measures included: 1) improving the student-teacher relationship; 2) applying intriguing, inductive, and counterintuitive approaches to introducing new concepts; 3) adopting puzzle-based quizzes integrated with peer instruction; 4) using an audience response system; 5) replacing certain lectures with tutorials; 6) reducing course duration; and 7) using a graphics tablet. The results obtained demonstrate significant improvements in lecture attendance and in student performance. The author believes that the approach presented here can benefit other engineering educators in similar courses.

Project-based learning applied to an embedded systems course

The aim of this work is to present a proposal for project-based learning applied to an embedded systems course. The proposal involves projects associated with the area of control and automation, in which the student develops solutions in embedded systems with microcontrollers. The projects envisage the development of closed-loop control techniques for various types of dynamic system. The proposed method was applied during four semesters (2012.1, 2012.2, 2013.1, and 2013.2) in the Digital Systems course of the Computer Engineering programme at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). The results of opinion surveys conducted with the students during the four semesters are presented in order to validate the proposed project-based learning method. Full details of implementation of the method are also provided in order to assist others involved in teaching similar academic programmes.

MULTIMEDIA CONTENT AND LABORATORY ENHANCEMENTS FOR COURSES IN DIGITAL SYSTEMS AND COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE

This paper describes multimedia content and laboratory enhancements for courses in digital systems and computer architecture at Queen's University. The laboratory enhancements for the computer architecture course reflect new equipment with field-programmable logic chip technology for continuity from the preceding digital systems course. New laboratory exercises on pro- cessor implementation rely on the multimedia content and reinforce the technical link to the preceding logic course. Student usage of multimedia content in the two courses was monitored with a learning management system, re- vealing averages of almost 10 accesses per student in the digital systems course and over 15 accesses per student in the computer architecture course. Some students made no accesses, but others made 20 to 30 accesses. Finally, re- sults from surveys conducted in the courses to obtain feedback from students indicate that the majority of re- spondents obtained a learning benefit from the content.

Design, implementation and evaluation of a FPGA embedded digital systems course at the university level

This work describes the first teaching experience of FPGA-based embedded digital systems at Facultad de Ciencias Exactas e Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Argentina. The course contents, modality and ways to assess student learning are detailed, also results obtained from student assessment and from course evaluation are presented. Hardware description languages are strategically taught to student with basic knowledge of digital systems. The course is oriented to electronics engineering advanced students and professionals from exact sciences' area. Course contents include VHDL language learning, practical work realization, and FPGA-based system design as a final evaluation. The course evaluation is performed by means of quantitative results obtained from student assessment- considering realized practical work and FPGA-based system design- and from an inquest answered by the learning group.

An Investigation Into the Understanding and Skills of First-Year Electrical Engineering Students

In response to demands from industry and the profession for more graduates, first-year engineering numbers have grown considerably over the last decade, matched by an increasing diversity of academic backgrounds. In order to support first-year students effectively, and ensure the courses they take remain appropriately pitched, the academic preparedness of these students must be determined. Since 2007, the lecturers in the compulsory first-year Electrical and Digital Systems course at the University of Auckland (UoA), Auckland, New Zealand, have administered a short diagnostic test to determine the level of conceptual understanding of electricity and electromagnetics possessed by the incoming students. This paper presents and discusses student understanding of dc circuit theory as revealed by the diagnostic test and subsequent investigations. The evidence is indicative of both flawed conceptual models and context-triggered misapplication of fundamental rules. Parallels are drawn with the results of research conducted elsewhere, indicating the misconceptions are robust and pervasive, crossing institutional and national boundaries. Not only are concepts such as current and voltage poorly understood, but even more basic concepts such as series and parallel connections are confusing for a significant number of students. Understanding the incorrect models that underlie these basic misconceptions is the first step to correcting them. Only then can students proceed to the more advanced concepts that engineering graduates are required to master.

The Effectiveness of Learning Objects as Alternative Pedagogical Tool in Laboratory Engineering Education

This study aims to analyse the effectiveness of learning objects as alternative pedagogical tool in laboratory engineering education. 160 undergraduate students who enrolled in a Digital Systems course were randomly assigned to either a control group or an experimental group. This study utilised pre-test, post-test, postponed-test, and questionnaires as the basis of data collection to measure the effectiveness of learning objects. Before the experiment began, both groups were given pre-test. During the experiment, the students in the control group took a regular course without learning objects while the students in the experiment group took a regular course with learning objects. After 7 weeks of the experiment period, all students were given the post-test followed by distribution of questionnaires to the experiment group. Four weeks after the post-test, both groups were given postponed-tests. The results show that the post-test and postponed-test mean scores of the experiment group students are better than control group students. Further analysis with the three sub-groups (low-achiever, medium-achiever and high-achiever) reveals that the experimental group performed better especially the low-achiever and medium-achiever sub-groups benefited more in increase and retention of knowledge and concept compared to the same sub-groups in the control group.

Modeling, design, development and evaluation of a hypervideo presentation for digital systems teaching and learning

Hypervideos are multimedia files, which differ from traditional video files in that they can be navigated by using links that are embedded in them. Students can therefore easily access content that explains and clarifies certain points of the lectures that are difficult to understand, while at the same time not interrupting the flow of the original video presentation. In this paper we report on the design, development and evaluation of a hypermedia e-Learning tool for university students. First, the structure of the hypervideo model is presented; once the structure is known, the process of creating hypervideo content is described in detail, as are the various ways in which content can be linked together. Finally, an evaluation is presented, which has been carried out in the context of an engineering class by use of an interactive experiment, involving N?=?88 students from a digital systems course. In this study the students were randomly assigned to two groups; one group participated in the course as usual, whilst the second group participated in the same course while also combining the conventional learning with the hypervideo content developed for the course. The students' learning results showed that the students who had access to the hypervideo content performed significantly better than the comparison group.

Developing object‐based learning environment to promote learners' motivation for learning digital systems

AbstractThis article aims at sharing the authors' experiences with object‐based learning environment. The purpose of this study is to assess the learners' perceptions and usage of learning objects in Digital Systems course. Overall, learning objects are good alternative learning strategy, which enables learners to take more control over their own learning. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 18: 640–650, 2010; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com; DOI 10.1002/cae20268

Prediction of User Acceptance and Adoption of Smart Phone for Learning with Technology Acceptance Model

This study examines how the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) can be used as a practical tool for early user acceptance and adoption of testing mobile communication devices for learning by evaluating the relationships among perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude towards using, behavioural intentions to use and actual use. In the study, 60 potential users were presented with an introductory demonstration of smart phone for a digital systems course. Following the demonstration, data on user perceptions and attitudes about smart phones were gathered based on this initial exposure. Subjects with prior experience using the smart phones were eliminated from further analysis resulting in a final sample of 40 users. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to assess the overall model and influence of each variable of interest in determining actual use of smart phone. The analysis showed that both the user perceptions and attitudes have significant positive effects on behavioural intention and actual use of smart phone. Implications of these findings for practice and research are examined.

An investigation of user perceptions and attitudes towards learning objects

AbstractThis study empirically evaluates the technology acceptance model drawn from Information Systems (IS) literature to investigate how user beliefs and attitudes influence learning‐object use among higher education learners by evaluating the relationships between perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude, behavioural intentions and actual use. In the study, 601 potential learning‐object users were presented with an introductory demonstration of learning objects for a Digital Systems course. Following the demonstration and practice, data on user beliefs, attitudes and intention to use learning objects were gathered, while data on actual use of learning objects was collected at the end of the semester. Subjects with prior experience using the learning objects were eliminated from further analysis, resulting in a final sample of 481 users. structural equation modelling was employed to test the hypothesised study model. The analysis showed that both the user beliefs and attitudes have significant positive relationships with behavioural intention and that behavioural intention accurately predicted the actual use of learning objects. The results extend the validity of the TAM into a learning object context and clearly pointed out that it can be used to predict users’ future behaviour.