Experiences with Remote Teaching an Embedded Systems Course

Abstract

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges and universities had to switch abruptly to remote teaching. This paper describes our experiences teaching an undergraduate Embedded Systems course in a synchronous-remote format to students spread across the globe. Lectures were delivered via Zoom with recordings provided as backup for students who missed lectures. For the laboratory, low-cost lab kits were assembled and shipped to each student consisting of a microcontroller development board, and LCD display, a breadboard, and a collection of electronic parts. Students worked in lab each week in Zoom breakout rooms with the instructor available to answer questions and help troubleshoot problems. The course culminated with a project defined by each student group and constructed from the parts kit and, in some cases, a few additional parts that were purchased separately. Despite the inevitable difficulties of remote instruction, students developed interesting projects and reported a positive learning experience overall.