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This paper presents a new approach to teaching programming to undergraduate computer science students. A dedicated Arduino board along with custom application programming interface (API) was introduced into programming classes with a view to strengthen students' engagement and improving the attractiveness of the course. The students were presented with basic functionalities of the board, which gave them a possibility to accomplish their own projects—typically video games—without any background in electronics. The level of engagement of the participants was observed by the tutors during classes and also reviewed based on questionnaires filled by 347 first‐, second‐, and third‐year undergraduates. The results indicated that the proposed approach was well received by nearly 80%, while nearly 75% of the participants expressed a wish to continue their Computer Science education using Arduino. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many recent studies have demonstrated that the traditional methods used in teaching software requirements elicitation are ineffective because they frequently produce unskilled graduates who are inappropriately trained to apply their practical knowledge in the workplace. Therefore, the combination of traditional teaching approaches and modern learning tools has been used to better prepare undergraduate students. Biyubi is a game that has been developed to complement traditional teaching in order to facilitate the learning of requirements elicitation activities on an undergraduate Software Engineering course. Biyubi provides a simulated environment for students so that they can explore, analyze, and discover the wishes and needs of the correct stakeholders. This game has been tested and validated by undergraduate students from the NovaUniversitas University, Mexico. The use of Biyubi achieved an increase in the motivation, satisfaction, and learning experience of students in requirements elicitation. The game has the potential to better explain the proper use of a requirements elicitation technique while the technical skills of the students are also improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT In the present study, we introduce a FPGA-based educational system called RELI-EVA (REconfigurable-Logic-based system for Implementation and Evaluation of real-time Video processing and analysis of Algorithms), which has been integrated into a Computer and Electronic Engineering course by following the 'learning-by-doing' approach. Therefore, the aim of this system is to provide engineering students with an intuitive tool in order to understand the main algorithms for real-time video processing and create and test some new algorithms before their real implementation in physical systems. Moreover, with the aim of demonstrating the potential of the developed FPGA-based system, the development of a practical example for edge detection is presented in order to support the theoretical basis of real-time video processing. Additionally, a qualitative research method was followed to evaluate the proposed tool. A high percentage of the surveyed students corroborated the success of RELI-EVA as part of an engineering course. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 25:376-391, 2017; View this article online at ; DOI [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theoretical teaching of Computer Architecture is not suitable longer. In the present time, students claim for a learning-by-doing according to their dynamic and active character. Nowadays, interactive teaching is possible thanks to the decrease in the prices of the Field Programmable Gate Arrays. This paper proposes a learning-by-doing methodology to teach Computer Architecture to first-year student who belong to a digital-native generation. The method consists in developing a whole computer from scratch while they are introduced to hardware description languages (HDL) and programmable logic devices. Firstly, students design each and every element of the computer by VHDL language. Later on, they interconnect the verified elements and test the complete computer. A FPGA-based board is needed to implement and check the correct performance of the designed computer. This educational approach is intended to be used with first-year students from Computer Engineering Degree, thus, it is the first experience of the students with the basics of Computer Architecture. Students have a computer and a FPGA-based board in anytime. In the final exam, a design of a different computer is propounded. Computer testing and programming is a requirement to pass. The high percentage of passed students corroborated the success of the methodology. Thus, computer functioning and construction is understood by a hands-on methodology at the same time as VHDL language and FPGA technology are introduced. Lack attention is avoided since students keep a dynamic role working with their personal computer and FPGA at all times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]