Using physical logic gates to teach digital logic to novice computing students

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Tan, Wee Lum
Venema, Sven
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2019
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Hong Kong, China

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Abstract

One of the challenges that commencing university students in computing degree programs face is the difficulty in engaging with the abstract and complicated theories in the computing discipline. In particular, it is hard for beginner computer architecture students to visualise the link between the theory of digital logic and the behaviour of the digital circuitry. Studies have shown that improving disciplinary engagement can lead to lower student attrition rates. We aim to increase student engagement in an introductory computer architecture course by employing oversized physical logic gates n the form of logic blocks in several digital logic experiments. Using these digital logic blocks students will be able to physically interact with the circuitry and observe the outcomes of their solutions directly. Student survey results indicate that using the physical logic blocks was helpful to beginner computing students in gaining a better understanding of digital logic and digital circuits. The use of physical logic blocks was also helpful in transitioning to a more abstract digital logic drawing environment later in the course for building more advanced digital circuits.

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Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Educational Technologies 2019

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© 2019 IADIS Press. The attached file is posted here with permission of the copyright owner for your personal use only. This paper was published in the Proceedings of the IceduTech 2019 and is available via the publisher website: http://www.iadis.org/

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Higher education

Educational technology and computing

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Lum Tan, W; Venema, S, Using physical logic gates to teach digital logic to novice computing students, Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Educational Technologies 2019, 2019