Learning and Practicing Logic Circuits: Development of a Mobile-based Learning Prototype

Abstract

Nowadays, with the advent of electronic devices in everyday life, mobile devices can be utilized for learning purposes. When designing a mobile-based learning application, a large number of aspects should be taken into account. For the present paper, the following aspects are of special importance: first, it should be considered how to represent information; second, possible interactions between learner and system should be defined; third – and depending on the second aspect – it should be considered how real-time responses can be provided by the system. Moreover, psychological theories as for example the 4C/ID model and findings with respect to blended learning environments should be taken into account. In this paper, a mobile-based learning prototype concerning the learning topic ”logic circuit design” is presented which considers the mentioned aspects to support independent practice. The prototype includes four different representations: (i) code-based (Verilog hardware description language), (ii) graphical-based (gate-level view), (iii) Boolean function, and (iv) truth table for each gate. The proposed learning system divides the learning content into different sections to support independent practice in meaningful steps. Multiple representations are included in order to foster understanding and transfer. The resulting implications for future work are discussed.