The Effect of Using "Learning-By-Doing" Approach on Students' Motivation in Learning Digital Electronics

The Diploma in Telematics and Media Technology (DTMT) course offered by the School of Engineering (SEG) in Nanyang Polytechnic, Singapore adopted CDIO implementation of the Introduction to Engineering module since 2013. First year students from the DTMT learn Digital Electronics through the “learning-by-doing” approach in the Introduction to Engineering module during their first semester at the polytechnic. In this module, they learn digital electronic circuits by designing and implementing a prototype of a practical digital security system. The students are also required to come up with innovative ideas of applying the digital security system in everyday life and showcase these ideas in an exhibition, which serves as an additional platform for students to develop their interpersonal skills. Students from the DTMT were found to be more motivated and interested in learning Digital Electronics, as compared to students from other diploma courses where they learned Digital Electronics in the traditional way of attending lectures, tutorial classes and practical laboratory sessions. This paper shares our experiences in adopting the “learning-by-doing” approach in the teaching of Digital Electronics where instruction is designed to engage students in direct experiences that are tied to real world situations, and to develop students’ interpersonal skills. Key findings from the data collected through survey and interviews are summarized in this paper to highlight the effect of the “learning-by-doing” approach on students’ motivation in learning.

Proceedings of the 13th International CDIO Conference in Calgary, Canada, June 18-22 2017