Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

2016

Publication Title

Envisioning the Future of Engineering Undergraduate STEM Education: Research and Practice Symposium (EnFUSE)

Abstract

This development establishes a “spiral” lab framework, in which the key concepts are revisited at increasing levels of sophistication and interconnection, for Computer Engineering curriculum. The development is addressing a serious deficiency – lack of integration skill – in engineering curriculum. The framework connects and integrates the individual courses through a coherent sequence of lab experiments and projects across the entire curriculum. These lab experiments and projects are designed to illustrate and reinforce key theoretical concepts and their complexities and abstraction levels gradually grow as students progress through the curriculum. The framework is based in three cohesive themes: video, audio, and touch sensor, and individual projects are eventually evolved into a complete set of IP (intellectual property) cores that form customizable I/O subsystems and can be incorporated into any FPGA (field programmable gate array) based computer system. The development uses low-cost prototyping board and can be easily incorporated into existing curriculum. The improved curriculum will enhance students' integration skill, make them aware of the big context, and keep them interested and motivated. This project is currently implemented and evaluated in two institutions in parallel and two new book manuscripts with the developed materials are under preparation.

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