An approach to the evaluation of embedded engineering study programs

This paper presents an approach to the evaluation of study programs in the field of embedded computer engineering. The study programs cover the following subject categories: 1) digital system design, 2) computer system design, 3) digital signal processing, 4) computer networking and 5) system integration. The results of the evaluation of hardware, software and instructional materials in embedded engineering learning are presented. Student assignments are evaluated using the proposed tasks taxonomy which consists of three levels: 1) exercises, 2) problems, 3) projects. Students and teachers were asked to analyze the difficulty, lab material, level of student understanding and the amount of individual and team work in the subjects. First research results suggest that there is a large overhead in the number of platforms used in the mentioned courses. It was shown that in learning embedded computer engineering, the students deal merely with doing basic exercises and solving simple problems, while additional work is required in shifting the learning process towards enhancing students' higher-order cognitive skills such as problem solving and creativity, and fostering teamwork. The research also showed that it would be helpful to develop a unified embedded engineering learning platform for multiple courses in the curriculum.