header

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