“Embedded Computer Technique” is a subject that covers the principle and method of building a control system around an embedded processor using the structure and function of the processor.
In the past, all students were given the same preparation tasks and they had them checked orally. Therefore, they paid little attention to preparation and some of them made no preparations for lectures.
That is why Choe Hak Gun, a researcher at the Faculty of Communications, focused his attention on attracting his students to doing preparation tasks.
It is true that “Embedded Computer Technique” at first attracted every student’s interest as an embedded computer system has positive applications in reality, but the lectures on making and running embedded computer systems tended to make many students discouraged since the lectures are mainly focused on theories.
In order to overcome such shortcomings, he selected a simulation tool method and gave preparation tasks for which students had to use the simulation tool. With the simulation tool, the students can design circuits, write and run a program and evaluate the accuracy anytime as they want.
First, he presented preparation tasks so that they could grasp the point of the coming lecture from them. As they have already learnt about PROTEUS, simulation tool which is widely used for an embedded system, it is quite possible for them to do so.
Second, he properly evaluated how well they did their preparation tasks.
Due to the time limit, it is impossible to check everybody’s work, so he asked the students to hand in their tasks in the form of e-documents in advance. He chose the best ones among them to point out the good sides and bad sides of their tasks. It helped raise their self-confidence. In addition, he gave them chances to have a full understanding of the main point of the lecture by providing time to explain on their own.
As a result, the trend of memorizing faded out and instead many of them tried to design a circuit and write and run a program all by themselves. Some of them came up with several creative design methods and programming methods while doing their preparation tasks by the simulation tool. It resulted in the improvement in the thinking ability of the students.
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