A Hardware Laboratory for Incorporating Computer Science Theory with Real-World Interests and Difficulties

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The goal of this project is to better prepare students of computer science, both majors and minors, in the areas of systems and hardware-dependent software development. An active learning laboratory built around the central theme of the interdependence of software and hardware in the computer, as well as in embedded systems, is being developed. This laboratory is based upon similar labs developed under previous NSF support, but adds some unique components such as mobile robots and an instrumented model railroad to provide exposure to complex, real-world problems. This laboratory serves as the hands-on experimentation center for two required senior-level capstone computer science courses. Since this is a predominantly Hispanic-serving institution, the project is involving students in "near-peer" teaching to attract more students from the minority service area to study mathematics, science, and computer science.Students graduating from this program have hands-on experiences with hardware interfacing, data acquisition, real-time programming and observing actual results of numerically computed solutions to problems. They are better prepared for positions as systems developers and applications programmers, thereby filling a need in the local workforce for such skills. As a result of their interaction with this lab, students are also better prepared for graduate school. Evaluation of the project includes pre, mid and post data collection of student satisfaction with the courses. It also includes collection of student test scores on the ETS Major Field Assessment Test in Computer Science and evaluation of student projects by an independent computer science faculty jury. Dissemination is being accomplished by presentations at ACM, ASEE, and IEEE conferences as well as through a web page with practical information about how to implement a similar lab and projects for other faculty members.