The document discusses experiences in digital circuit design courses, focusing on an intelligent tutoring system that enhances student learning through simulation and validation tools. It highlights issues such as high dropout rates and low performance in foundational courses, alongside experimental results showing improved pass rates with the tutoring system. The authors propose future work involving new exercises, gamification, and a MOOC with significant enrollment.

1. Experiences in Digital Circuit
Design Courses:
A Self-Study Platform for Learning
David Bañeres, Robert Clarisó, Josep Jorba and Montse Serra,
Computer Science, Multimedia and Telecommunications Department,
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya,
1
Experiences in Digital Circuit Design Courses
IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies

2. • Motivation
• Contribution
• Learning methodology
• Experimental results
• Current and future work
Outline
2
Experiences in Digital Circuit Design Courses

3. 3
Motivation
Operating
System
Hardware
Experiences in Digital Circuit Design Courses

4. 4
Motivation
Experiences in Digital Circuit Design Courses

5. 5
Motivation
Experiences in Digital Circuit Design Courses

6. 7
Motivation
6
Dout
Banc
de
Registres
SL
E
SE
3
3
8
Din
8
clk
AND
8
8
A B
8
R
NOT
8
A
8
R
Md
Memòria
ROM
64x8
M@
6
8
+
A B
6
Cin
S
Cout
6
0
1
87
+
jump @PC+1
next @
3 -
+
VAL
1
3REG (PC)
load clear
6
E
Sclk
ld_PC reset
6
+
-
3
+
3 Rd@
Rf@
+
A B
Cin
S
Cout
8
0
ld_BR
Q
Q'
D
S
R
load
clk
zero?
reset
0
+
-
VAL
+ -
1
8
6
+
1
- +
VAL
6 6
6
REG (B)
load clear
8
E
Sclk
ldB reset
8 8
Unitat
de control
selAdrBR
q6
ld_BR,
ld_Z
ld_P
C selOpBR1
selOpBR0
selOpPC
q7
z
2
selAdrBR
A simple microprocessor
Experiences in Digital Circuit Design Courses

7. 8
Motivation
How to design a simple microprocessor
Computer Fundamentals
How to use a simple microprocessor
Computer Structure
Experiences in Digital Circuit Design Courses

8. 9
Motivation
Computer Fundamentals
Course in the first semester on Degrees in Computer Science and
Telecommunication Engineering
High dropout of students (near 50% of enrollments)
Low student performance
Pass rate Computer Fundamentals
34,20
44,00
34,00 34,00 34,00
42,00
32,00
40,00
30,00
35,00
40,00
45,00
20101' 20102 20111 20112 20121 20122 20131 20132
Semestre
Experiences in Digital Circuit Design Courses

9. 10
Problem
Students have difficulties on learning:
• How a circuit works
• How to design a circuit
A PPT was used
to design a circuit
No simulation was
performed
Experiences in Digital Circuit Design Courses

10. 11
Contribution
An Intelligent tutoring system to learn
digital circuit design
Simulation is
possible
Graphical interface
to design a circuit
Automatic validation
towards the correct
solution
Experiences in Digital Circuit Design Courses

11. 13
Learning Methdology
Experiences in Digital Circuit Design Courses
INCORRECT when
in1 = (0); in2 = (1)
Problem definition
DESIGN
VERIFYFEEDBACK
Design an AND gate
Experiential learning: trial-and-error

12. 14
Experimental results
Experiences in Digital Circuit Design Courses
Students performance
Continous Assessment Final Mark
2011 2012 2011 2012
Percentage
(%)
Spr. Fall Spr. Fall Spr. Fall Spr. Fall
Pass Act./
Used
88,7 83,2 85,2 80,2
Pass Act./
Not used
68,5 61,0 67,5 61,9
Total Pass
Act.
74,4 69,4 74,7 77,4 74,2 69,5 73,7 76,5

13. 15
Experimental results
Continous Assessment Final Mark
2011 2012 2011 2012
Percentage
(%)
Spr. Fall Spr. Fall Spr. Fall Spr. Fall
Pass Act./
Used
88,7 83,2 85,2 80,2
Pass Act./
Not used
68,5 61,0 67,5 61,9
Total Pass
Act.
74,4 69,4 74,7 77,4 74,2 69,5 73,7 76,5
Experiences in Digital Circuit Design Courses
Students performance

14. 16
Experimental results
Continous Assessment Final Mark
2011 2012 2011 2012
Percentage
(%)
Spr. Fall Spr. Fall Spr. Fall Spr. Fall
Pass Act./
Used
88,7 83,2 85,2 80,2
Pass Act./
Not used
68,5 61,0 67,5 61,9
Total Pass
Act.
74,4 69,4 74,7 77,4 74,2 69,5 73,7 76,5
Experiences in Digital Circuit Design Courses
Students performance

15. 17
Current and Future work
New types of exercise
Karnaugh maps Time chart simulation
Finite state machines
Hardware description
languages
Experiences in Digital Circuit Design Courses

16. 18
Current and Future work
Gamification
Experiences in Digital Circuit Design Courses

17. 19
Current and Future work
Competition
Rewards: additional points in the final mark
Experiences in Digital Circuit Design Courses

18. 20
Current and Future work
Dissemination
VerilUOC is used in a MOOC in Coursera (jointly with UAB)
First edition: ~20.000 enrollments
Second edition: Starting15th of february
Experiences in Digital Circuit Design Courses

19. 21
Questions
Experiences in Digital Circuit Design Courses