Project Based Learning of Embedded Systems

📝 Abstract

Traditional teaching, usually based on lectures and tutorials fosters the idea of instruction-driven learning model where students are passive listeners. Besides this approach, Project Based Learning (PBL) as a different learning paradigm is standing behind constructivism learning theory, where learning from real-world situations is put on the first place. The purpose of this paper is to present our approach in learning embedded systems at our University. It is based on combination of traditional (face-to-face) learning and PBL. Our PBL represents an interdisciplinary project based on wireless sensor monitoring of real-world environment (greenhouse). The students use UML that was shown as an excellent tool for developing such a projects. From the student perspective, we found that this high level of interdisciplinary is very valuable from the point of view of facing the students with real-life problems.

💡 Analysis

Traditional teaching, usually based on lectures and tutorials fosters the idea of instruction-driven learning model where students are passive listeners. Besides this approach, Project Based Learning (PBL) as a different learning paradigm is standing behind constructivism learning theory, where learning from real-world situations is put on the first place. The purpose of this paper is to present our approach in learning embedded systems at our University. It is based on combination of traditional (face-to-face) learning and PBL. Our PBL represents an interdisciplinary project based on wireless sensor monitoring of real-world environment (greenhouse). The students use UML that was shown as an excellent tool for developing such a projects. From the student perspective, we found that this high level of interdisciplinary is very valuable from the point of view of facing the students with real-life problems.

📄 Content

Project Based Learning of Embedded Systems

DANCO DAVCEV, BILJANA STOJKOSKA,
SLOBODAN KALAJDZISKI, KIRE TRIVODALIEV Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies
University “Sts. Cyril and Methodious”
Karpos 2, bb, 1000 Skopje REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA etfdav@feit.ukim.edu.mk, biles@feit.ukim.edu.mk,
skalaj@feit.ukim.edu.mk, kire.trivodaliev@feit.ukim.edu.mk

Abstract: - Traditional teaching, usually based on lectures and tutorials fosters the idea of instruction-driven learning model where students are passive listeners. Besides this approach, Project Based Learning (PBL) as a different learning paradigm is standing behind constructivism learning theory, where learning from real-world situations is put on the first place.
The purpose of this paper is to present our approach in learning embedded systems at our University. It is based on combination of traditional (face-to-face) learning and PBL. Our PBL represents an interdisciplinary project based on wireless sensor monitoring of real-world environment (greenhouse). The students use UML that was shown as an excellent tool for developing such a projects. From the student perspective, we found that this high level of interdisciplinary is very valuable from the point of view of facing the students with real- life problems.

Key-Words: - Wireless Sensor Networks, Project Based Learning, Embedded Systems

1 Introduction An embedded system is a special-purpose system designed to perform one or a few pre-defined tasks, usually with very specific requirements. It can also be consider as an application that contains at least one programmable computer (microcontroller or microprocessor) and individuals that use it are unaware of its computer-based concepts [1]. Following these definitions, embedded systems range from very simple microcontrollers to very complex and sophisticated portable devices such as MP3 players, PDAs and smart phones [2][3].
Motivated by this, the goal of our undergraduate course of Embedded Systems was to enable the student to closely understand and become more familiar with the big diversity of the embedded “world”. Our pedagogical approach in learning embedded systems is based on project-based learning methodology. The project that should be designed and developed by the students that selected this course represents an integration of different embedded devices (IDED). On one side we put small and smart sensors equipped with limited computational and wireless communication capabilities. These low-power and low-cost devices can be organized in a network and deployed widespread. On the other side, we have pocket PCs as complex type of embedded devices with more general-purpose. They have completely different power and bandwidth characteristics than low-power sensor nodes [4]. The IDED project is especially suitable for habitat and environmental monitoring, due to sensors ability to measure the environmental parameters and communicate among them and other smart devices and computers. Section two of this paper describes the architecture of IDED. The third section explains the design and implementation of the IDED. The forth section gives the results provided from the tested participants in the project development. Section five presents the related work. Finally, we conclude this paper in section six.

2 IDED Architecture In the recent years, there is a huge advancement in computing technology [5]. This has led to the production of wireless sensors that are not only capable of observing and reporting physical phenomena, but also, this new generation of tiny sensor nodes can accomplish other operations, like data processing and communication. The sensors are organized in a network and communicate and exchange information using radio modules. They are actually responsible for the first stages of the 2nd WSEAS Int. Conf. on CIRCUITS, SYSTEMS, SIGNAL and TELECOMMUNICATIONS (CISST'08)Acapulco, Mexico, January 25-27, 2008 ISSN: 1790-5117 Page 120 ISBN: 978-960-6766-34-3 processing hierarchy [6]. After taking samples from the environment they sense (light level, air temperature, humidity etc.) they can process data or exchange it. All sent packets are collected by the sink node that is directly connected with the laptop.
Our project follows simple system architecture. All sensor nodes send their sensor readings to the base station, and the base station sends those data to users (clients) via the Internet. Pocket PCs represent the clients that communicate with the server. The medium through which the communication is accomplished is wireless local area network, i.e. the clients could be anywhere if they have connection to the Internet (Fig. 1).
The base station (Laptop or Desktop PC) serves as a link between the sensors and the Pocket PCs. It can simultaneously communicate to both the sensor network and the Pocket PCs.
In

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