Project based learning and Proctored online assessment in Lab courses to enhance CDIO Skills – A case study of Microcontroller laboratory course

CDIO(Conceive/Design/Implement/Operate) is an educational framework for engineering programs that aims to produce graduates possessing all- rounded set of skills and competencies. The laboratory courses plays important role in inculcating CDIO skills. This proposal explains an attempt conducted in a Microcontroller laboratory course which uses proctored online theoretical assessment and project-based learning in lab course. Thus, a blend of group and individual activities are inserted during the conduct of lab. It is proposed to give one project relating the concepts of the course and to conduct at least two online theoretical assessments, one at the end of first cycle of experiments and second at the end of second cycle experiments. A representative list of project titles is provided to the students. Assessment questions include all the aspects such as background theory of the experiments, conduction of experiments, observation, calculations and inferences. Three research questions are formulated and addressed. It is found from the assessment results that these projects and assessments results in the better understanding of the concepts in the experiments. On the other hand, these assessments helps teachers to analyze the difficulty faced by the students in understanding the theory back ground of the laboratory experiment and plan accordingly. The results are strengthened using statistical tests.