Learning on and at the edge: Enabling remote instructional activities with micro controller and microprocessor devices

Abstract

As a result of the global pandemic of 2020, many colleges and universities shifted to remote instruction. Thanks in part to the reliance on cloud-based hosting for mission-critical enterprise systems (e.g., enrollment, library collections, learning management, and videoconferencing), most higher education institutions have been able to continue teaching and learning activities overall in this difficult context [1]. For a small but important subset of courses, however, the lack of access to laboratory, workshop, or studio spaces has presented enormous obstacles to carrying on [2]. The negative impact to hands-on instruction has been a major preoccupation during the pandemic, but there are some signs of hope. As we'll see, inexpensive microcontroller and microprocessor systems and accessories have emerged as enabling technologies that show promise as a solution for carrying on certain kinds of remote hands-on activities. This paper looks at three situations where instructors were able to overcome the challenges of remote instruction by being able to distribute kits and digital lab materials to students for remote work using devices such as Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and NVIDIA Jetson. The three examples suggest a potential role for academic computing services in being able to scale up these sorts of device-based solutions to achieve broader impact.