Challenges of Teaching Microcontroller Programming in MAE 471 Mechatronics 17 views

Mechatronics is a course taught in the mechanical engineering department to 3rd year students in their spring semester at the University of Virginia. The course is a collaboration of mechanical, electrical, and computer science engineering. The nature of the course poses many challenges in teaching interdisciplinary material as well as exposes the short comings of the current engineering educational curriculum. This undergraduate thesis project focuses on the difficulty of teaching computer science to 3rd year mechanical engineers that have minimal experience with programming and outlines the need for an engineering education reform to adapt to new inter-disciplinary subjects such as Mechatronics. The STS research paper of this portfolio exposes the shortcomings the current curriculum of undergraduate engineering programs, such as at the University of Virginia, in dealing with shift of disciplines as a result of new technology. The paper argues that new technologies, specifically within the electronic realm, will require the boundaries of disciplines to be redefined and restructured. It is also argued that the current engineering curriculum falling behind in delivering an engineer that can function in today’s dynamic industry. Material should be presented to students through design problems and should concentrate on consistently building a students team work and communication skills. Mechatronics is interesting because it is a pilot for a new education curriculum based on team work and guided problem based labs however some challenging material still needs considerate planning in order to optimize the student’s retention and understanding. The final technical report of this portfolio attempts to help combat the difficulties faced by students learning programming in mechatronics. Through experiences with working with the current teacher and acting as a teacher’s assistant, the researcher developed tools, the VGA Driver and RF Driver, to assist students while programming. The technical paper outlines the design and possible uses of these tools. Students were able to use these tools and other recommended programming methods in their final projects. The paper also summarizes certain aspects of programming microcontrollers that are common pitfalls for students in the course. These pitfalls are often important concepts that inhibit the student from grasping the whole picture. Other mechatronics programs in different schools are studied and reflected upon in order to determine the most efficient method of overcoming these shortcomings. The prospectus of this portfolio was the major research document that observed mechatronics programs at other universities. At the time it was written, the prospectus had a general concentration and the exact deliverables of the technical paper were unknown. The paper outlines the need for mechatronics in the curriculum at the University of Virginia and points out the problem faced by students with programming. The paper discusses possible solutions however does not clearly define a route. It was not until the researchers work with helping proof read the course and develop the code behind the VGA_Driver that certain methodologies were created to aid in programming.

BS (Bachelor of Science)

Mechatronics; Computer engineering; Pedagogy

English

All rights reserved by the author (no additional license for public reuse)

2009-05-08