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Week 5: Student-Centered Learning Approaches. Electronics.

Assignments

  • Task 1: Design a simple electronic circuit using a simulator
  • Task 2: Build a simple circuit
  • Task 3: Use a Makey Makey board (or similar) to interact with a computer game/program
  • Task 4: Reflection questions

Task 1: Design a simple electronic circuit using a simulator

To create the electronic circuit, I used the electronics simulator in Tinkercad.

The circuit consists of a PIR sensor, an LED, and a 220 Ω resistor. A passive infrared (PIR) sensor is an electronic device designed to recognise infrared light emitted by moving objects near the sensor. The PIR sensor has three pins: 5 V, GND, and signal.

These sensors are widely used in thermal-sensing applications such as motion detection, automatic lighting, and security alarms. The signal pin drives the LED through the 220 Ω resistor, so when the sensor detects changes in infrared light levels, the LED lights up.

The power source could be a battery, but in this case I used a small solar panel.

Tinkercad also allows you to simulate the circuit to ensure the components and wiring are correct.

sample photo

Task 2: Build a simple circuit

Since I had the components, I decided to physically build the circuit I had simulated.

The only difference was that the pins of the actual sensor were in a different order than in the simulation. The PIR sensor also has two dials: one to adjust the sensitivity or detection range, and another to set how long the sensor’s output remains active after the last detected motion.

The power supply is provided by two small solar panels through a solar power management module.

sample photo

sample photo

Task 3: Use a Makey Makey board (or similar) to interact with a computer game/program

For this task I am showing a common activity that uses the Makey Makey to produce music with the Scratch-like app.

The diagram shows how the circuit is created. The guitar cut-out has an aluminium foil area connected to ground, and the frets are also made with aluminium foil strips on the neck of the guitar. These are connected with crocodile clips to different buttons or arrow inputs on the board. The board must be connected to a laptop to provide power and run the code. sample photo

sample photo To hold the Makey Makey board in place I modified this case https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2224579 and then 3D-printed it. As the cardboard guitar is a bit flimsy, I added an MDF piece on the back to support the board, the case, and the neck. sample photo In Scratch I added the Makey Makey and Music extensions.

sample photo

Task 4: Reflection questions

1.Imagine an educational activity using simple electronics components (preferably without microcontrollers) that is suitable for the age group that you are teaching. Describe it (provide goals of activity and methodologies). Consider also the role of the kids: would you classify it as Digital Fabrication for kids or with kids? Why?

Description of the activity

Students (upper primary or lower secondary) build a simple “electric guitar” using a cardboard guitar cut-out, aluminium foil and a Makey Makey board connected to a laptop running Scratch.

  • The aluminium foil on the body is connected to earth on the Makey Makey.

  • Strips of aluminium foil on the neck act as frets and are connected with crocodile clips to the arrow keys (and/or space bar) on the Makey Makey.

  • In Scratch, students use the Makey Makey and Music extensions so that each arrow key plays a different electric guitar note or chord when the fret is touched while the player is also touching earth.

Learning outcomes

  • Understand that a circuit needs a complete path (closed circuit) for current to flow.

  • Recognise that many everyday materials can conduct electricity (aluminium foil, human body).

  • See how physical switches can control digital events on a computer.

Skills and competences

  • Basic prototyping skills: cutting, taping, attaching foil and crocodile clips.

  • Debugging: finding loose connections, non-conductive areas, wiring mistakes.

  • Creative and musical exploration: choosing notes/chords, experimenting with rhythm.

  • Collaboration: working in pairs or small groups to build and test the guitar.

As it is currently designed, I would classify this more as Digital Fabrication for kids. I am the one who modifies and 3D-prints the Makey Makey case and prepares the MDF backing; the students mainly use these fabricated parts, assemble the circuit, and do the coding and musical experimentation.

However, it could easily move towards Digital Fabrication with kids if students were also involved in designing and fabricating the physical parts: for example, drawing their own guitar shapes in a 2D CAD tool and laser-cutting them, or customising and 3D-printing their own Makey Makey cases.

2. What are the challenges of using electronics in your space? How can this support your students in learning classroom content?

Using electronics on my context comes with a few practical challenges. Usally requires a large range of components (sensors, wires, boards, resitors, etc. ) that need to be well organised. If I want to go beyond simple breadboard prototyping, I also need extra equipment such as PCB fabrication tools and soldering stations, which can be difficult to manage safely and efficiently with large groups.

With electronics it can also be difficult to help students to troubleshoot as it requires time and attention.

Despite these challenges, using electronics strongly supports students’ learning of abstract content such as voltage, resistance,logic, sensors, etc. Projects can easily connect with other subjects: for example, building interactive instruments or installations can link to music, art, science. Electronics work also encourages problem-solving, debugging, collaboration.

3. What has been your experience using Project Based Learning / Problem based learning in the past? What were the main challenges?

Both working as a design and technology teacher and in a makerspace, I’ve found that PBL is a teaching approach that fits very well to deliver technological content and for students to acquire knowledge and skills. It allows them to work in a more authentic way, connecting what they learn in class with real situations, materials, and tools. Students are usually more motivated, and I see them taking more ownership of their learning when they have a specific project or problem to solve.

However, to really provide a well-designed PBL experience requires a lot of planning. The project needs a contextualised, real and meaningful problem that is sufficiently complex and open-ended, so it doesn’t lead to one straight, simple answer but instead requires research, idea development, testing and iterating. Managing different groups working at different speeds can be challenging, as well as assessing individual learning inside group projects. I also believe assessment can be challenging in PBL. It’s not just about evaluating the final product, but about assessing learning and progress from the beginning and at different stages of the project. This means using a variety of assessment tools such as self-assessment, peer assessment, teacher feedback, and a final summative assessment.

Sometimes PBL is criticised for not being the best methodology for certain concepts, or for allowing students to go very deep into one topic while not covering as much breadth. Balancing open exploration with enough structure, and making sure students still build a solid foundation of core knowledge, are some of the main challenges I’ve experienced.

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