Board 265: Engaging Students in Exploring Computer Hardware Fundamentals Using FPGA Board Games

Andrea Ramirez-Salgado; Tanvir Hossain; Tamzidul Hoque; Swarup Bhunia; Mary Jo Koroly; Bradford Davey; Pavlo Antonenko

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Conference: 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Baltimore , Maryland
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
Start Date: June 25, 2023
End Date: June 28, 2023
Conference Session: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Tagged Topic: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Page Count: 12
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--42715
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/42715
Download Count: 174

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Paper Authors

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Andrea Ramirez-Salgado University of Florida

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Andrea is a doctoral student at the University of Florida specializing in Educational Technology within the Curriculum and Instruction program. She has a master’s degree in Education and ICT and a bachelor’s degree in Software Systems Engineering. Andrea has been teaching undergraduate and graduate courses for the past thirteen years covering topics such as algorithms, process engineering, instructional design, and applications of technology in education. Her research interests include understanding the implications of hands-on software and hardware learning approaches for developing engineering identity and fostering engineering persistence in students. Additionally, she is part of a research team funded by the National Science Foundation that aims to design and develop gamified activities to teach hardware principles at high school and undergraduate levels with a focus on equity principles.

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Pavlo "Pasha" Antonenko is an Associate Professor of Educational Technology at the University of Florida. His interests focus on the design of technology-enhanced learning environments and rigorous mixed-method research on the effective conditions for tec

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Abstract

Electronic devices have become indispensable in everyone’s life and so the computer hardware industry is demanding skilled professionals to design and physically implement devices to satisfy the market. However, misconceptions surrounding manufacturing jobs and the increasing initiatives to motivate students with engineering majors to focus on software-related topics such as artificial intelligence and blockchain are hindering students’ interest in hardware computing. Our project, funded by the NSF’s Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) program, addresses the need to engage more students in explorations (and, eventually, design) of computer hardware by developing a set of games played on an easy-to-use hardware platform to understand and implement the fundamental concepts that are essential to modern computing systems (Figure 1). To encourage flexible and broad adoption, the games are conceived as standalone units within a curriculum design that leverages equitable pedagogical practices, experiential learning, and inquiry-based learning to cultivate engineering identity and persistence using situational interest and self-efficacy theories.

We aim to offer the curriculum as an elective undergraduate course for all engineering majors at two US institutions and also research and evaluate the feasibility of implementing it as a summer program with high school students. Each module in the curriculum is divided into 5 phases: activation of prior knowledge, mini-lesson, gameplay, student-led work time, and debriefing. The games support collaboration rather than competition, and each lesson is tagged with equity spotlights, including Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies (CSP) principles. Finally, informed by the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, each lesson includes a teacher implementation guide and teacher educative materials to facilitate implementation (Figure 2).

We have tested the first two games in the curriculum for usability and feasibility with a group of high school students. The topics of these games include binary arithmetic and Boolean logic gates. Participants were challenged to solve tasks using the hardware tools at their disposal. This usability and feasibility testing study provided us with important design and implementation implications.

Citation
Format

Ramirez-Salgado, A., & Hossain, T., & Hoque, T., & Bhunia, S., & Koroly, M. J., & Davey, B., & Antonenko, P. (2023, June), Board 265: Engaging Students in Exploring Computer Hardware Fundamentals Using FPGA Board Games Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--42715

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Electronic devices have become indispensable in everyone’s life and so the computer hardware industry is demanding skilled professionals to design and physically implement devices to satisfy the market. However, misconceptions surrounding manufacturing jobs and the increasing initiatives to motivate students with engineering majors to focus on software-related topics such as artificial intelligence and blockchain are hindering students’ interest in hardware computing. Our project, funded by the NSF’s Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) program, addresses the need to engage more students in explorations (and, eventually, design) of computer hardware by developing a set of games played on an easy-to-use hardware platform to understand and implement the fundamental concepts that are essential to modern computing systems (Figure 1). To encourage flexible and broad adoption, the games are conceived as standalone units within a curriculum design that leverages equitable pedagogical practices, experiential learning, and inquiry-based learning to cultivate engineering identity and persistence using situational interest and self-efficacy theories.

We aim to offer the curriculum as an elective undergraduate course for all engineering majors at two US institutions and also research and evaluate the feasibility of implementing it as a summer program with high school students. Each module in the curriculum is divided into 5 phases: activation of prior knowledge, mini-lesson, gameplay, student-led work time, and debriefing. The games support collaboration rather than competition, and each lesson is tagged with equity spotlights, including Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies (CSP) principles. Finally, informed by the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, each lesson includes a teacher implementation guide and teacher educative materials to facilitate implementation (Figure 2).

We have tested the first two games in the curriculum for usability and feasibility with a group of high school students. The topics of these games include binary arithmetic and Boolean logic gates. Participants were challenged to solve tasks using the hardware tools at their disposal. This usability and feasibility testing study provided us with important design and implementation implications. 

AU  - Andrea Ramirez-Salgado
AU  - Tanvir Hossain
AU  - Tamzidul Hoque
AU  - Swarup Bhunia
AU  - Mary Jo Koroly
AU  - Bradford Davey
AU  - Pavlo Antonenko
CY  - Baltimore , Maryland
DA  - 2023/06/25
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Board 265: Engaging Students in Exploring Computer Hardware Fundamentals Using FPGA Board Games
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/42715
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--42715
ER  -