introduction
This website hosts materials related to the ONR-sponsored STEM education research project entitled "Learning About Signals through Tinkering and Game-Playing".
Abstract: While signal processing and communication systems are taught in courses in all of our nation’s electrical engineering programs, students often struggle with the abstract and theoretical concepts of signals. Two active-learning approaches which have started to attract attention for use in formal education environments are tinkering and game-centric curriculum design; interestingly, these are already natural components of informal learning environments such as makerspaces, hackathons, and robotics competitions. This project will engage these communities of self-motivated learners who often do not have formal training in signal theory, and will borrow their self-motivation and maker-mindset to address the educational challenge of teaching abstract signals concepts in formal learning environments. The proposed work employs students to assist with curriculum development, engaging local maker/hacker communities, and assessing the effect of these innovations on learning outcomes. The approach in this collaborative effort will be tested in courses at two universities, at both the undergraduate and graduate level, and will result in a blueprint for introducing elements of tinkering and game-centered curricula into signals courses throughout the nation.
PIs: Andrew G. Klein (WWU) and Richard K. Martin (AFIT)
WWU student researchers: Quae Atwood, Kirsten Basinet, Harley Fernandez, Victor Perez, Kevin Richardson, and Jacob Rosenblum
AFIT student researchers: Jennifer Hefner and Cody Watson
preliminaries / related documents
Note: These documents are drafts that are currently under heavy revision.
Literature survey on gamified curricula in education
Literature survey on tinkering/making-related education research
Design guidelines for incorporating gaming in curricula
Design guidelines for incorporating tinkering/making in curricula
Survey instrument used to assess opinions and attitudes
activities
Hidden Transmitter Hunt
Students use RTL-SDR USB sticks as makeshift spectrum analyzers and they explore and measure various signals in the frequency spectrum. In addition, students search for a hidden transmitter, and relate signal power measurements to theory. [Click here] [Automated Fox Plans for Instructor]
Matching Time and Frequency Domain Representations
Students match sets of cards with time and frequency domain representations given prompts for how they are to be combined. This exercise help reenforce concepts of LTI systems, Fourier domain, and filtering. [Click here]
Graphical Convolution Mystery Madness
This activity has students use familiar shapes, transparency film, and markers to explore convolution (and deconvolution) graphically in groups of 2-3 students. [Click here]
The Fundamental Signal Elements
In this board game, students arrange fundamental transceiver blocks (adders, mixers, oscillators, filters, quantizers, nonlinearities) to form a transceiver topology that converts one given signal to another given signal. Students are given a list of transceiver elements and frequencies, but they need to construct the proper order of the elements and associate the frequencies with the correct transceiver element. Students also draw the signal after each transceiver element. [Click here]
Acoustic Impulse Responses
Use a microphone and possibly a speaker to measure acoustic impulse responses of different environments. [Click here]
Image Registration
Use Fourier properties to compute shifts between similar images. [Click here]
Verbal Representation of Course Content
Word game similar to Taboo, Catch Phrase, Unspeakable, Battle of Words, and Word Charades. [Variant 1] [Variant 2]
Visual Representation of Course Content
Drawing game similar to Pictionary; Win, Lose or Draw; Fast Draw; Draw Something; and iSketch. [Variant 1] [Variant 2]
Audio Filtering
Design a filter to remove noise from an audio signal. [Click here]
Acoustic Wireless Communication System
Design a wireless communication system using audio hardware. [Click here]
Audio Position Tracking
Design a system to track the position of a speaker using microphones. [Click here]
Frequency Estimation
Use audio or radio hardware to estimate the center frequency of a narrow-band signal. [Click here]
Signal Geolocation
Use an RTL-SDR software radio dongle to geographically locate a radio station. [Click here]
Signal Detection
Use an RTL-SDR software radio dongle to detect a radio transmitter and measure ROC curves. [Click here]
related publications
- R.K. Martin, K.R. Basinet, A. Schwartz, J. Rosenblum, and A.G. Klein, “Gamification of DSP: electronic vs. pen-and-paper,” in Proc. IEEE Intl. Conf. on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP), Apr. 2018.
- K.J. Richardson, H.J. Fernandez, K.R. Basinet, A.G. Klein, and R.K. Martin, “A making and gaming approach to learning about RF path loss and antenna design,” in Proc. IEEE Integrated STEM Education Conference (ISEC), Mar. 2018.
- R.K. Martin and A.G. Klein, “Improved student independence through competitive tinkering,” in Proc. IEEE Frontiers in Education Conf. (FIE), Oct. 2017.
- K.R. Basinet, A.G. Klein, and R.K. Martin, “On student collaboration and competition in an inquiry-based multiuser communications and jamming exercise,” in Proc. of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference and Exposition, Jun. 2017.
- R.K. Martin, A.G. Klein, J. Hefner, C. Watson, and K.R. Basinet, “Making and gaming in signal processing classes,” in Proc. IEEE Intl. Conf. on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP 2017), Mar. 2017.
- P.D. Kearsley and A.G. Klein, “Self-corrected homework for incentivizing metacognition,” in American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference, Jun. 26-29, 2016.
- A.G. Klein, “An inquiry-based acoustic signal processing lab module for introducing digital communications,” in Proc. IEEE Signal Processing and Signal Processing Education Workshop (SPW2015), Aug. 2015.