Developing and Teaching an Integrated Series of Courses in Embedded Computer Systems

Abstract

With embedded computer systems being a core topic in computer engineering, there are typically one or more courses in a program that provide varying coverage. Many universities offer introductory courses that focus on microcontroller-based systems and embedded programming. Advanced courses often do not have a common focus and are not available until the graduate level, leaving a gap in training undergraduates. At Iowa State University, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering developed a new senior-level design course on embedded systems design (CPRE 488) that bridges the content between the introductory course on microcontrollers (CPRE 211) and a graduate course on system-level design (CPRE 588). This paper presents the process of developing the integrated series of courses that spans early undergraduate to graduate levels, including the team approach used. The set of courses and the development process should be of interest to educators considering expanding or enhancing the curriculum in embedded systems.Index Terms -Embedded systems, Hardware-software codesign, Problem-based learning, System design methodology

Hardware/Software Codesign Pedagogy for the Industry

“…Some universities [17,18,19,20] offered this course as a senior-level undergraduate course as they observed that students at senior level have already been exposed to microcontroller software and hardware design, but the combination of the two is rarely touched. Among them, Iowa State [18,19], provide an introductory course in system level design at undergraduate level as well as an advanced course in graduate level to address competing new technologies. The advantage of this approach is the undergraduate level course allows the students to focus on a more general view of system-level design and gain systemlevel design experience without spending the time to learn a system-level design language, which will be stressed in the graduate level course.…”

Pedagogical Tools to Enhance the Cognitive Skills of (Humanitarian) Design Engineers: The Rationale

“…According to the National Academies, one of two major tasks required to generate desired student learning outcomes is "better alignment of engineering curricula and the nature of academic experiences with the challenges and opportunities graduates will face in the workplace" 11 . In fact, the same report states that "the disconnect between the system of engineering education and the practice of engineering appears to be accelerating" 10 . The volume of information that engineers are collectively called upon to know is increasing far more rapidly than the ability of engineering curricula to "cover it."…”

“…Further, engineering curricula usually present the set of topics engineers "need to know," leading to the feeling that an engineering education is simply a collection of courses. While the content of the courses may be valuable, this view of engineering education ignores the need for connections and integration 10 . According to the National Academies, one of two major tasks required to generate desired student learning outcomes is "better alignment of engineering curricula and the nature of academic experiences with the challenges and opportunities graduates will face in the workplace" 11 .…”

Reflections on Five Years of Coherent Teaching Across Three Courses on Digital Logic and Computer Systems

“…Bezdek et al [2] describe a more narrowly focused effort for a three-course sequence related to embedded systems, with the key issue being the introduction of the middle course as a new course relative to the first and last in the sequence. This sequence is later in the curriculum, ostensibly after introductory courses on digital logic and computer organization, and includes a graduate-level embedded-systems course as the final element in the se-University of Toronto; June 4 -7, 2017 -2 of 6 -quence.…”