Transcript Integration of Graphical Programming into the First

KEEN Regional Conference on the Entrepreneurially-Minded First-Year Experience
30-March-2012: Kettering University
Gregory Bucks
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Motivation
Background
Spring 2009, Fall 2009 Experience
Fall 2011 Experience
Reactions
Conclusions
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Increasing need for computing skills in both
professional and personal life
 Increasing use of computers/electronics as part of
the product
 Learning to program is difficult
 Most students do not develop a grasp of the
fundamental concepts during introductory courses
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What ways can we help students to learn
programming concepts/skills?
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Decision made to attempt to use graphical
programming languages (NI LabVIEW) to
augment student learning of programming
and engineering design
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SPRING 2009
FALL 2009, 2011
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1 course
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2 course sequence
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“Engineering Problem
Solving and Computer
Tools”
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“Ideas to Innovation I”
 Teaming
 User-Centered and
sustainable design
 Engineering disciplines
 Teaming
 User-centered and
sustainable design
 Engineering problem solving
 Programming with MATLAB
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“Ideas to Innovation II”
 Engineering problem solving
 Programming with MATLAB
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Two 120 minute studio classes per week
 Integrate lectures and activities
 Students in teams of four
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Weekly homework assignments
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Projects throughout the semester
 Conceptual
 Report driven
 No implementation
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Modifications – 2 sections:
 Inclusion of LabVIEW as an “executable
flowchart” along with learning MATLAB
 Homework and lab activities on LabVIEW
 Use of LabVIEW on an end-of-semester group
project
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Modifications – 2 sections:
 LabVIEW integrated as a tool to help prepare for
spring semester MATLAB experience and as a
venue for design experience
 Homework and lab activities in LabVIEW
 Two LabVIEW group projects
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Students tasked with developing a program
in LabVIEW to teach 7th grade students a
concept from the Indiana State science/math
curriculum
Presented programs to local 7th grade class
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Schedule: 4 weeks
Memo
 Proposal Memo describing user and chosen
Schedule
concept and paper prototype of how to convey
concept
 Paper proposal showing user interface
 Beta program and draft instructions
 Final program for use by 7th graders and set of
instructions for how to use the program
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Projects assessed by instructional staff,
feedback from 7th graders
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Examples of 7th Grade Projects
Can download copy of full LabVIEW student
programs at:
https://engineering.purdue.edu/EPICS/ENGR195_Project/Fall2009_ENGR195
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Modifications – 2 sections:
 LabVIEW and NI MyDAQ system integrated as a
tool to help prepare for spring semester MATLAB
experience and as a venue for design experience
 Homework and lab activities with
LabVIEW/MyDAQ
 One LabVIEW/MyDAQ group project
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Small, portable USB-powered data
acquisition device
Can be used on it’s own or easily integrates
with LabVIEW
MyDAQ Example:
Generate Acquire
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Design a hardware and software system that
demonstrates your mastery of LabVIEW and
the MyDAQ and is:
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Fun and challenging
Exemplifies what an engineer does
Engages all team members
Integrates LabVIEW and MyDAQ
Project assessed by instructional staff, NI
representatives, ECE senior design
instructors
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Schedule: 5 weeks
 Research/brainstorming
 Draft of project ideas, peer/instructor feedback
 Idea descriptions/decision matrix, final selected
idea and initial parts list
 Complete parts list, project plan/timeline, division
of labor
 Executive summary
 Presentation and demonstration
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Guitar tuning programs that used microphones to measure the sound
and provides feedback if the note is flat or sharp through colored LED’s
Homemade Dance-Dance-Revolution that used a LabVIEW front panel
with moving elements and a dance pad that used pressure sensors
Holiday light display that powered LED’s which were synced to music
Study monitoring system that used an image capture system to
determine if the subject is at the study area and an accelerometer on the
writing instrument to determine if they are writing
Residence hall room security system that employed a card swipe
system to identify a person with their university ID and provide access to
items in the room such as the refrigerator, computer, phone, etc. An
alarm system sounded if items were accessed
Talking trash cans that provide audio feedback when things are thrown
away including voices recordings and sound effects
An electronic game of twister that used pressure sensors under the
pads of the game and computer logic to monitor participants
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Project Questions
I feel that being able to see the
programming concepts in LabVIEW
helped me to understand them
I feel that learning LabVIEW will
help me to learn another
programming language next semester
I feel that I can easily understand
what is going on in a program written
in LabVIEW by looking at the Block
Diagram
I feel that being able to see the
program visually helps me
understand how the program works
Fall 2009
Fall 2011
3.67
3.9
3.58
3.9
3.50
3.6
3.75
3.9
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Project Questions
I feel that the semester projects
helped me understand programming
better
I feel that the semester projects
helped me to see how engineering
can have an impact
I feel that presenting our projects to
the 7th grade students was a good
experience
I feel that working on the projects
improved my confidence in my
programming ability
Fall 2009
Fall 2011
3.82
4.2
3.57
3.9
4.07
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3.71
3.9
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Course evaluations consistently higher for
modified course than traditional course –
despite increased workload
“Even though this section was more
challenging, I enjoyed it because I felt like I
was doing something that actually related
to engineering.”
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Hands-on nature of the projects engaged the
students
Fall 2011 gave actual experience with the
“messiness” of engineering design
Open-endedness of projects requires wide
range of expertise
Increased course cost over traditional
sections
MyDAQ Projects were Senior Design quality
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Incorporated National Instruments LabVIEW
and the MyDAQ system in the first-year
engineering course at Purdue University
Use of LabVIEW and MyDAQ allowed students
to work on real engineering problems
Student and instructor reactions were very
positive
 Replication of service-learning project in MATLAB
 Continuation of MyDAQ project in future semesters
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Greg Bucks – [email protected]
Thank you:
 William Oakes – [email protected]
Associate Professor of Engineering Education and
Director of EPICS Purdue
 Andrew Watchorn – National Instruments
Academic Program Manager for Midwest US
 More Info:
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Bucks, G. and W. Oakes. Integration of graphical programming into a first year engineering
course. in ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition. 2010. Louisville, KY.
 Bucks, G. and W. Oakes. Enhancing the Experience in a First-Year Engineering Course
Through the Incorporation of Graphical Programming and Data Acquisition Technology. in
ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition. 2012. San Antonio, TX.
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Students tasked with creating a program in
LabVIEW to help a student decide what
engineering major to pursue:
 Ask different questions about the user’s interests
 Based on research done throughout semester on
different engineering majors, use responses to
questions to recommend a major
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Engineering Your Major Examples:
1.
2.
3.
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