PROJECT-ORIENTED ESP32 IOT CURRICULUM WITH A SHARED-RESOURCE LABORATORY MODEL: DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, AND LESSONS LEARNED
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20373537Keywords:
IoT education, ESP32, project-based learning, curriculum design, AI in education, engineering pedagogyAbstract
Traditional IoT education often follows a topic-based instructional model, progressing sequentially
through sensors, actuators, communication protocols, and embedded programming concepts. This paper
presents an alternative project-oriented IoT curriculum implemented over a 15-week semester at a private
university in Uzbekistan for 44 undergraduate computer science students. The course was designed around
complete functional projects rather than isolated theoretical topics, enabling students to develop practical
engineering competencies through hands-on experience.
The laboratory environment employed a shared-resource model in which student pairs rotated through
12 workstations equipped with ESP32 microcontrollers and various sensor-actuator combinations, including
DHT11 temperature and humidity sensors, ultrasonic sensors, RFID modules, and L298N motor drivers. To
address concerns regarding excessive dependence on AI-assisted coding tools, the curriculum introduced
a differentiated AI usage policy: students were encouraged to use artificial intelligence tools for conceptual
understanding and research purposes, while all source code had to be written independently and verified
through oral technical interviews.
The paper also provides a comparative analysis with a separate full-year embedded systems program in
which more structured and standardized instructional approaches produced significantly stronger educational
outcomes. Based on the analysis, the study proposes several practical recommendations for effective IoT
curriculum design, including the implementation of signed technical requirements, rigorous early-stage
assessments, mandatory mock technical interviews, and the avoidance of individual MVP projects in favor of
standardized project-based exercises.
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