It's All About Engagement: Infusing the Mobile Studio Approach Throughout the Electrical Engineering Curriculum

Abstract

An ongoing trend in electrical engineering programs is the adoption of mobile studio pedagogy, which champions small, portable, low-cost hardware/software systems in support of student-centric educational activities. Engineering education literature on mobile studio usage has focused on the implementation of a mobile studio platform either in a single isolated course or several courses within a sequence. This work proposes infusing a hands-on mobile studio approach throughout the electrical engineering curriculum, providing cohesive experiential learning for students throughout their degree program and fostering a climate of inclusivity and accessibility. The electrical engineering curriculum at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) is being redeveloped as part of a conversion from quarters to semesters, offering a unique opportunity to fully integrate a mobile studio approach as a core element of the curriculum. This paper presents a summary of the current state of the engineering education literature on mobile pedagogy and highlights empirically derived best practices. This sets the stage for a discussion of the proposed curriculum integration of a mobile studio model and the potential to significantly increase student engagement. Important logistics are examined, including considerations of a common mobile platform across multiple courses, models for student-owned hardware, mobile studio hardware selection, and classification of courses that still require traditional bench or specialized hardware to achieve learning outcomes. While this case study presents a unique opportunity for integrating mobile studio pedagogy into curriculum redevelopment, the best practices and approaches are applicable to any faculty seeking ways to incorporate mobile studio pedagogy into their courses.