Project-based Learning with Single-Board Computers

Joseph D. Steinmeyer

Download Paper | Permalink

Conference: 2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Seattle, Washington
Publication Date: June 14, 2015
Start Date: June 14, 2015
End Date: June 17, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-692-50180-1
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: Evaluation: Technology and Tools for K-12 Engineering Education
Tagged Division: K-12 & Pre-College Engineering
Page Count: 18
Page Numbers: 26.1272.1 - 26.1272.18
DOI: 10.18260/p.24609
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/24609
Download Count: 793

Request a correction

Paper Authors

biography

Joseph D. Steinmeyer Massachusetts Institute of Technology

visit author page

Joseph Steinmeyer is currently a lecturer in the EECS Department at MIT. He obtained his BS in EECS from the University of Michigan in 2008, and his MS and PhD (also in EECS) from MIT in 2010 and 2014, respectively. His research interests currently center around neuroscience and engineering, educational technology development, and STEM curriculum development at both the high school and college level.

visit author page

Download Paper | Permalink

Abstract

Project-‐Based Learning with Single-‐Board Computers Inexpensive single-‐board computers such as the Raspberry Pi and BeagleBone Black are a powerful class of tools for introductory and enrichment programs in the STEM fields. These devices and the software suites developed for them provide unprecedented accessibility for students in exploring both the hardware and software sides of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. While significant documentation for a variety of hobbyist projects utilizing these single-‐board computers is readily available online, there’s a lack of literature focusing on deployment of these devices in the classroom or more organized settings at the primary and secondary level, and much of what does exist places heavy emphasis on the software or programming-‐only uses. Over the past two years, we have experimented with deploying BeagleBone Black or Raspberry Pi single-‐board computers in project-‐based introductory STEM courses for rising high school seniors with an emphasis on hardware (circuit) and software (embedded Python programming) integration. This paper details the curricula we developed during this period. Our work was carried out in the context of three different summer programs, all intended for rising high school seniors from a broad range of backgrounds: a six-‐week program, a one-‐week program, and a one-‐day, three-‐hour workshop. For each program we developed a series of laboratory and project-‐based assignments featuring single-‐board computers suitable for the respective time constraints of the individual programs. In this paper, we include details of the laboratory exercises for each of the three programs as well as example final projects developed by the students. In addition, we also provide quantitative analysis of student performance in these laboratory settings and quantitative and qualitative student feedback (approximately 100 total student participants in all programs across both years) regarding the courses. While this work was carried out using BeagleBone Black and Raspberry Pi devices, the curriculum and results are not platform-‐specific and can be easily used with future single-‐board computer platforms. It is our intention that the work presented will provide a basis for future curriculum development with single-‐board computers in a variety of settings.

Citation
Format

Steinmeyer, J. D. (2015, June), Project-based Learning with Single-Board Computers Paper presented at 2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Seattle, Washington. 10.18260/p.24609

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -                   Project-‐Based  Learning  with  Single-‐Board  Computers                    Inexpensive  single-‐board  computers  such  as  the  Raspberry  Pi  and  BeagleBone  Black  are  a  powerful  class  of  tools  for  introductory  and  enrichment  programs  in  the  STEM  fields.  These  devices  and  the  software  suites  developed  for  them  provide  unprecedented  accessibility  for  students  in  exploring  both  the  hardware  and  software  sides  of  Electrical  Engineering  and  Computer  Science.    While  significant  documentation  for  a  variety  of  hobbyist  projects  utilizing  these  single-‐board  computers  is  readily  available  online,  there’s  a  lack  of  literature  focusing  on  deployment  of  these  devices  in  the  classroom  or  more  organized  settings  at  the  primary  and  secondary  level,  and  much  of  what  does  exist  places  heavy  emphasis  on  the  software  or  programming-‐only  uses.  Over  the  past  two  years,  we  have  experimented  with  deploying  BeagleBone  Black  or  Raspberry  Pi  single-‐board  computers  in  project-‐based  introductory  STEM  courses  for  rising  high  school  seniors  with  an  emphasis  on  hardware  (circuit)  and  software  (embedded  Python  programming)  integration.  This  paper  details  the  curricula  we  developed  during  this  period.                  Our  work  was  carried  out  in  the  context  of  three  different  summer  programs,  all  intended  for  rising  high  school  seniors  from  a  broad  range  of  backgrounds:  a  six-‐week  program,  a  one-‐week  program,  and  a  one-‐day,  three-‐hour  workshop.  For  each  program  we  developed  a  series  of  laboratory  and  project-‐based  assignments  featuring  single-‐board  computers  suitable  for  the  respective  time  constraints  of  the  individual  programs.  In  this  paper,  we  include  details  of  the  laboratory  exercises  for  each  of  the  three  programs  as  well  as  example  final  projects  developed  by  the  students.  In  addition,  we  also  provide  quantitative  analysis  of  student  performance  in  these  laboratory  settings  and  quantitative  and  qualitative  student  feedback  (approximately  100  total  student  participants  in  all  programs  across  both  years)  regarding  the  courses.                  While  this  work  was  carried  out  using  BeagleBone  Black  and  Raspberry  Pi  devices,  the  curriculum  and  results  are  not  platform-‐specific  and  can  be  easily  used  with  future  single-‐board  computer  platforms.  It  is  our  intention  that  the  work  presented  will  provide  a  basis  for  future  curriculum  development  with  single-‐board  computers  in  a  variety  of  settings.        
AU  - Joseph D. Steinmeyer
CY  - Seattle, Washington
DA  - 2015/06/14
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Project-based Learning with Single-Board Computers
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/24609
DO  - 10.18260/p.24609
ER  -