99-xxx Course Proposal: Introduction To Arduino

This is the original proposal for the course, included just for historical interest.

Rationale for Course

Computing has been integrated into nearly every activity of modern life. In every field, the successful use of computing is an essential skill, including in the arts. Better yet is an ability to go beyond the use of computing tools to developing and applying computational thinking to new applications.

This course aims to demystify the Arduino microcontroller as a basic tool for embedded computing. For CFA students, this may serve as a first introduction to programming or electronics. For CIT or SCS students, this may be a first introduction to the hands-on reality of small-platform or embedded computing. For anyone, this will enable them to make a simple Arduino project and serve as a launch point for further study or self-study.

Target Population and Enrollment

Undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty and staff interested in learning new skills in an interdisciplinary environment.

The target enrollment is limited to fifteen due to the hands-on nature of the course. (This could be increased to twenty with TA support.)

Course Description

This workshop aims to demystify the Arduino microcontroller through hands-on work in the lab creating simple machines with embodied behaviors. The Arduino is a versatile resource for physical projects for students in all disciplines. This course brings students over the beginner’s threshold to a basic understanding of the use, terminology, and potential of the Arduino. The skills and concepts taught in this course are presented from an interdisciplinary approach which merges practices in arts and technology. The first portion will teach the essential skills for creating a simple sensor-driven physical computing system, and the second portion will reinforce those skills by making a simple interactive project. The course has no technical prerequisites, although uses a little bit of algebra-level math.

Course Topics

  1. The practice and potential of embedded computing in products, art, and culture.
  2. The Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE).
  3. Elementary programming: variables, functions, iteration, and time.
  4. Elementary electronics: Ohm’s Law, voltage divider circuits, simple analog sensors and actuators.
  5. Creation of basic computational input-output behaviors.
  6. Ideation and development of project ideas using embedded computing.

Student Learning Objectives and Assessments

At completion, students will be able to do the following:

  1. Identify opportunities for using embedded computation.
  2. Write simple real-time programs using the Arduino system.
  3. Design and fabricate simple sensor circuits.
  4. Design and construct a simple autonomous physical artifact combining a sensor, actuator, and computational behavior.

The primary assessment will be the construction of a project involving physically embodied computing, which may be in the form of an artistic work.

Course Units Valuation

  • Instruction: 1 hour
  • Recitation: N/A
  • Lab: 14 hours
  • Out-of-Class: 4 hours

Course Facilities and Materials

The course will be taught in the Hunt A10 IDeATe Physical Computing Lab. The course tutorial and reference information will be delivered via a website.

Each student will receive a kit with all necessary electronic components to complete the exercises and build a simple project. Students will be expected to provide any additional materials for constructing their project.