| NSF Org: |
DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | June 29, 2015 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | June 29, 2015 |
| Award Number: | 1504030 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Alexandra Medina-Borja
amedinab@nsf.gov (703)292-7557 DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education EDU Directorate for STEM Education |
| Start Date: | July 1, 2015 |
| End Date: | June 30, 2020 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $245,373.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $245,373.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
2121 EUCLID AVE CLEVELAND OH US 44115-2226 (216)687-3630 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
2121 Euclid Ave Cleveland OH US 44115-2214 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): |
S-STEM-Schlr Sci Tech Eng&Math, IUSE |
| Primary Program Source: |
1300XXXXDB H-1B FUND, EDU, NSF |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.076 |
ABSTRACT
This project is establishing a "spiral" laboratory framework for a computer engineering curriculum in which the key concepts are revisited at increasing levels of sophistication and interconnection. Instead of treating each course as an isolated topic, the project is developing a sequence of laboratory experiments and projects weaving through the entire curriculum, from freshman engineering to senior capstone design. This approach will help students see the "big picture" of the discipline and enhance their "integration skills" to address complex and realistic problems.
The proposed work connects and integrates the individual courses through laboratories that incorporate three types of media: video, audio, and touch sensor. The laboratories are designed to illustrate and reinforce key theoretical concepts in various courses. Their complexities and abstraction levels gradually grow as students progress through the curriculum. Each individual project and its components eventually evolve into a complete set of IP (intellectual property) cores that form customizable I/O subsystems that can be incorporated into any FPGA (field programmable gate array) based computer system. The overall project addresses a serious deficiency - lack of integration skill - in the engineering curriculum. It uses low-cost prototyping boards and parts and can be easily incorporated into existing curricular structures. The improved curriculum will enhance students' integration skill, make them aware of the big context, and keep them interested and motivated. The project will be implemented in two institutions in parallel and its effectiveness will be evaluated.
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The project has developed a lab framework for the entire computer engineering curriculum. It follows a “spiral model,” in which the key concepts are revisited at increasing levels of sophistication and interconnection. The framework contains a series of connected, theme-based experiments and projects weaving through the entire curriculum. The experiments and projects were designed to illustrate and reinforce key theoretical concepts in various courses, and the complexities and abstraction levels gradually grow as students progress through the curriculum. These components are evolved into a complete set of IP (intellectual property) cores that can be integrated into an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) prototyping board.
The effectiveness of the development was evaluated through the use of a mixed-methods approach consisting of a quasi-experimental design with additional qualitative data to support findings. The goal of the evaluation is to determine whether the revised curriculum is more effective for student learning, student interest, and whether students and instructors feel it is a more effective method as well as the adequacy of lab materials. Participants in this study were all undergraduate students enrolled in engineering classes. Analyses of Covariance (ANCOVAs) were used to compare pre- to post- results on survey subscales between the experimental and control groups. The analysis revealed that pre- to post- gains were significantly higher for the experimental group in career motivation, self-determination, self-efficacy, and grade motivation. An independent t-test showed that the students in the experimental group had significantly higher grades in the courses.
Open-ended questions and structured interviews showed that the participants felt that the courses built of each other and helped them learn skills they would need in their careers. They also expressed that hands-on learning through the labs and particularly the real-life applications were more beneficial than any classroom lecture for their understanding and that the labs were extremely helpful in their learning.
Last Modified: 08/13/2020
Modified by: Pong P Chu
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