Abstract:
A key graduate attribute for engineering students is
the design and development of solutions for real-life problems.
Enabling students to grasp engineering design principles often
proves challenging, especially within the African context. The
purpose of this paper is to highlight how the introduction of the
Arduino microprocessor into a design-based module for
undergraduate students has yielded outstanding results in this
regard. Up until the end of 2014, students could choose their own
microprocessor platform for designing electronic circuits
required for specific applications. However, this led to several
challenges, including the unavailability of components and the
high costs of the microprocessors. Introducing the Arduino
microprocessor as the preferred option in 2015 overcame many
of these challenges, while at the same time leading to an
improvement in the academic achievement of the registered
students. A case study was used in this research along with
descriptive statistics of the collected data. This data highlights
that more than 90% of the students successfully completed this
design-based module, while 70% felt that it really helped them to
better understand the theoretical knowledge. This
microprocessor has been recommended for future use in
additional modules as it yielded positive results in 2015.
