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Student2student: Arduino Project-based LearningTEEM16 - Track 1November 2, 2016 Salamanca

Authors & InstitutionsPABLO MARTN RAMOSEPSH, Universidad de Zaragozapmr@unizar.es

MARIA JOO LOPES & M. MARGARIDA LIMA DA SILVAjeKnowledge, Universidade de Coimbralopes.mjoao004@gmail.com, mariamargaridals@gmail.com

MANUELA RAMOS SILVACFisUC, Universidade de Coimbramanuela@pollux.fis.uc.ptPresentation template by SlidesCarnival

1.IntroductionjeKnowledge student-led initiative & Arduino-based learning

jeKnowledgeJnior Empresa da Faculdade de Cincias e Tecnologias da Universidade de CoimbraStudent-led initiative started in 2008Aimed at offering students the possibility of applying the knowledge acquired in their higher education degrees to the global marketDifferent internal and external projects

http://jeknowledge.pt/

jeKnowledge AcademyjeKnowledge not only works as a start-up incubatorAlso organizes summer schools for 14 to 17 year-old students: jeKnowledge AcademyAimed at actively engaging Portuguese high-school students in STEM educationStudent2student-based approach

Why teach a basic microcontroller at early stages?To expose the students at this stage to tools that will lead them to ideation, innovation, energy awareness and problem solving skillsWill enable them to become part of a very competitive workforce in the future the ubiquitous embedded systems are an optimum platformSteve Jobs once said: Everybody in this country should learn how to program a computer, because it teaches how to think

Why choose the Arduino platform?OpenSourceEase to program in assembly language and high level languagesEase to perform graphical system programming and configurationPossibility to apply it in project-based learningAffordableUseable later in their degree programPrior knowledge of programming or robotics is not a pre-requisite, only the desire to learn!

You dont need anyones permission to create something greatMassimo Banzi, Co-Founder of Arduino

Its sort of like cooking. You dont need to be a chef to cook but almost everyone cooks somethingMichael Shiloh, Arduino

Even more reasonsCan provide an introduction to microcontrollers without dwelling much into programming aspect of it or the architecture aspect of itThe implementation of Processing used in Arduino IDE would be a C/C++ dialectMany graphical languages available (Visuino, Ardublock, mBlock, miniblock, Snap4Arduino, Embrio)Adding peripherals is not difficultHuge amount of online tutorials and a large user base to ask questions to!

ArduinoGreat start for creating interactive objects or environments

2.MethodologyTeaching approach and equipment

Students and students-teachers18 students, 9th to the 12th grade7 h seminar split into 2 sessions, on 2 daysSmall attendance fee students received an Arduino starter kit and several other pieces to take homeSeminar taught by 2nd to 4th-year students from the Physics Engineering and the Design and Multimedia degrees

Equipment neededFunduino starter kit was chosenIncludes a Funduino UNO board, breadboard, cables, LEDs, resistors and pushbutton switches and temperature, flame, and infrared sensors; light-dependent resistors; a stepper motor; two sizes of seven-segment display; an LCD display; and even a joystickOther options available!

Official Arduino Starter Kit, Vilros Ultimate Starter Kit, Sunfounder Super Kit, DFRobot Beginner Kit for Arduino v3, ARDX Starter kit for ArduinoArduino-compatible systems (clones) for less than $3

3.Course organizationTheoretical introduction + hands-on sessions

Theoretical sectionIntroductionGeneral aspects about open-source hardware philosophy, Arduinos make of, models and characteristics.Selected sequences from Arduino: The documentary (2010) (CC-SA) were played.Fundamentals of Arduino programmingOnly variables, functions and structures that were needed to understand the code of the mini-project examples were covered. AvoidingThe aspects that could be more overwhelming (memory mapping, peripheral interfacing, using timers and counters, serial and parallel communications, opcodes and operands, polling and interrupts, etc.) were safely skipped!

Installation of Arduino IDEPractical section of the courseMini-projects6 guided mini-projects + free choice project:LED flasherRGB LEDDimming a LEDTurning on/off a LED with a photoresistorButton-controlled LED7-segments display

Mini-projects

Follow-upUpon completion of the course, a follow-up was conducted through a blogNew tutorials were posted: a virtual dice, a LED interface with Processing and Arduino, a memory game, a rain gauge, etc.Aimed at encouraging the students that had taken part in the Summer Course to contribute with their comments.

Student2Student Arduino workshops were included in the first-year syllabus of the Physics Engineering Course

The course was definitely a wonderful experience for me! The lessons were challenging, but thrilling as well. The more I learned, the more I wanted to discover and explore, which I find incredible. It certainly helped me decide that I want to pursue an Engineering degree in the future. In my opinion, learning through technologies such as computers as opposed to textbooks also helps because they're more interactiveLuis Silva, 16 y.o.

Well, for me it was a good experience to have younger teachers talking to us. I really enjoyed it because as they are not much older than us, and we are able to communicate easily with them, using some expressions and slang that we wouldnt use with older teachers. I definitely felt more relaxed too, I didnt feel the sort of pressure you would feel in a normal class, probably because they understand us better than any adult and they know how we think.Miguel Galvo, 16 y.o.

4.ConclusionsOutcomes from the course

OutcomesWas a success: just one drop-out.Young students were engaged in learning and motivated to increase the complexity of the project step by step. The feeling of achievement after completing a project reinforced student motivation to pursue a STEM education. The advantages of peer-coaching were also highlighted by the younger students, who stated that it facilitated the communication and relaxed the classroom atmosphere.

Future plansPlans are currently underway for the 3rd edition adding a challenge-type activity may be conducted, in which students would work in teams to develop a certain project over a period one/two weeks. More meaningful experience!

Thanks!Any questions?You can find me at:pmr@unizar.es