Improving learning experience to teach FPGA design at scale

The global demand for skilled engineers to facilitate the design and manufacturing of electronic chips is ever-increasing. An understanding of FPGA design tools and techniques is crucial for prospective careers in these domains. These skills are typically not taught in undergraduate engineering studies in India. In 2020, we attempted to teach the basics of FPGA design skills to undergraduate engineering students across India. This was done in project-based learning provided through three tasks in an online learning module. The initiative witnessed 872 students participating as a team of four. This experience report presents the methods adopted to teach FPGA design skills at such a scale. The report also presents and discusses participant experience gathered via feedback through semi-structured interviews. Six categories of issues were identified. Based on participant feedback, the learning module was improved and offered as 2nd edition to a similar cohort of 249 teams with 961 participants in 2021. These modifications resulted in an approximately 8% increase in the overall completion rate from 29.03% to 37.13%. The paper presents the process and experience of redesigning the learning module and contributes to the literature of issues identified and methods adapted in an attempt to teach complex engineering tools to undergraduate students which can benefit other academics aiming to teach similar essential skills.