Introducing Scenario
Based Learning
Experiences from an
Undergraduate Electronic and
Electrical Engineering course.
Benn Thomsen
bthomsen@ee.ucl.ac.uk
An integrated part of the course structure
Second Year
First Year
Engineering
Professional
Practice
Fundamentals
Project based scenario
Project based scenario
Maths &
Computing
Project based scenario
Physical
Electronics
Project based scenario
Digital
Systems
& Comms
Project based scenario
Electronic
Circuits
Third Year
Fourth Year
Systems,
Communications
and Software
Systems,
Communications
and Software
Devices,
Materials and
Nanotechnology
Devices,
Materials and
Nanotechnology
Wider Context
Wider Context
Individual Project
Group Project
Specialisation
Scenarios
First Year
Scenario A: Electromagnetic Redesign an electromagnet to maximise the lifting
lifting
force using only a single battery.
Scenario B: Java based
image coding for airport
security.
Develop a piece of software in java to scramble and
descramble passenger images using a secret key.
Scenario C: The Transistor
Radio Kit
Design and build an radio that could be assembled by
hand in a third world country and powered off the grid.
Second Year
Scenario X: Call Detection
System
Scenario Y: Due Diligence
Report on Broadband
Access Solutions
Design, build and test a system that is able to nonintrusively acquire the signal from a phone line and
determine the number that has been dialled.
Research, assess and compare the performance,
practicality and economic implications of three
potential next generation broadband access
technologies.
E.g. Scenario A: Electromagnetic weight lifting
A company hired a mechanical engineering design firm to
produce battery powered electromagnetic for lifting,
however, the magnet produced did not provide sufficient
lifting force. At this stage in the design process of the robot
it is too late to change the mechanical design or the battery
type (either a 1.5V C or 9V. You have been contracted to
redesign the coil of the electromagnet to maximise the
lifting force.
Goal
• To lift the most
weight
Constraints
• Mechanical design
• Two battery types
Validation
• Weight lifting
competition
E.g. Scenario A: Electromagnetic weight lifting
Essentially an
optimisation problem
• Need to determine
and apply theory to
produce a
mathematical model
• Some parameters
need to be determined
experimentally
• The optimum solution
determined by the
model is then
constructed and
tested
Scenario Project Model: CIDO model
Realisation
Validation
Reporting
•
•
•
•
•
•
• Develop design
concept into
deployable design
specification
• Refinement
through several
iterations
• Build and test
subsections
• Problem
shooting
• Refinement
• Test and debug
• Verify
performance
against project
specifications
• Presentation of
results
• Production of
project
documentation
• Reflection
Concept &
organisational
approval?
Problem definition
Research
Innovate
Design concept
Assign Roles
Resource
Requirements
Specification
Met?
Design
Design approval?
Planning
Checkpoints
Feedback and Assessment
Assessment
• Formative
• Checkpoints
• Competitions
• Summative
• Group Presentations
• Individual technical reports
• Traditional reports
• Critical Assessments of
other teams solutions
• Group technical report
• User manual
• Due diligence document
• Individual Narratives
Feedback
• Regular facilitation sessions
• Reports are submitted and
marked online in moodle,
feedback and comments
provided by using Turnitin and
GradeMark
• Post scenario debrief session
Evaluation Questions?
• Do scenarios excite and motivate students?
• Is it feasible to carryout a practical engineering
design project – ‘from concept to product in a
week’?
• Does the scenario reinforce what is taught in
lectures?
Student Comments
“I liked getting to apply theory to a
real problem and building something
“I
really like the
lab
andthe
scenario experience. I believe a better
to demonstrate
and
test
“I was
surprised
a single
explanation
during
the year
of battery
the scientific and/or engineering
designedcould
solution”
lift so much, even though our
approach to solve a problem will be very useful for the scenario
theory indicated it could”
wasthe
great
to beat the lecturer
and lab. Otherwise we fallIt
into
‘de-engineering
process’: 1.
“Once3.
the
Scenario
B teams were
Go to internet; 2. Find a similar design;
Try
to understand
announced, I instantly felt
how it works;“As
4. Modify
for our task.
I do haveitprevious
relieved. I was never good in
programming
experience I did
I really believe
that the ‘engineering
way’myis: 1. Study what we
programming to begin with and
best
to
algorithms,
object
have more
(measuring);
2.explain
Understand
what
weinwant
in the
output; A’,
3. a
“I learnt
about
biasing
there
my group
is ‘student
oriented
programming,
Java
andin my mind these
transistor
a week
than
I
Designmore
the in
"black
box".
Now
I have
clear
good
programmer. I now have a
general
programming
basics
to
the
everfundamental
did in lecturessteps.
although I
new insight into programming as I
team members. It was a rewarding
attend
every single
Probably
it waslectures”
your way to give usdid
a task
and see
how codes
the are
not realise
simple
teaching experience, as most team
enough
to program something I
students
discover
thedid
‘engineering
process’.”
“I liked
the
combination
of
members
understand
my
presume as difficult.”
almost all explanations
our modules to
andproduce
learnt from
a very commonly
them.” used device”
Summary
• Students particularly liked
– the practical aspects of the scenario
– Group work and the increased social interaction
– Competitive testing
• Areas to improve
– More facilitation staff
– More guidance on team working and report writing
– It is extremely important to have a timely debrief
session after the reports are marked