Innovative Teaching Methods for Hardware Engineering

Technology is not only measured in nanometers. It is also measured in access. What you see here is a 0.5-inch wafer, fabricated in 5 µm technology. I’ve heard many comments like: “That node is too old.” But that’s looking at it the wrong way. This is not a race to the smallest node. This is education in real semiconductor manufacturing. For decades, semiconductor training has been limited to theory and simulations, because modern fabs are simply inaccessible for most universities. Minimal Fab changes that. It allows students, researchers, and young engineers to actually go through the entire process: from design, to fabrication, to seeing their ideas become real silicon. If we want future engineers capable of designing at 65 nm, 28 nm or below, we must first form engineers who understand the foundations — not only from a PDF, but from hands-on manufacturing. This is not moving backward. This is building the base that everything else stands on. This small chip represents something bigger: the possibility for a new generation to create technology, not just consume it. And that is innovation. #MinimalFab #Semiconductors #EngineeringEducation #Silicon #ChipDesign #Mexico #HardwareDesign #ICDesign #SemiconductorManufacturing #OpenSourceSilicon #TrainingFutureEngineers #AdvancedManufacturing

Salience: Why Challenges Must Come Before Theory We teach swimming from textbooks and act surprised when students drown in real water. For decades, engineering education has followed a predictable formula: teach theory first, hope students stay patient, and trust that someday, maybe years later, they will finally see why it mattered. This made sense in a world where hands-on robotics labs were rare, hardware was expensive, and students had no choice but to “believe” their professors and wait. But that world is gone... Today’s students are surrounded by affordable hardware, instant experimentation, rich online resources, AI tutors, and a culture where relevance must be felt, not promised. Convincing them to learn difficult concepts simply because they “will need them later” no longer works. It has no salience... Challenge-led learning flips the sequence. Give students a real problem — make the robot follow a trajectory — before they know trajectory planning and control. They will brute force it. They will gain confidence. And then, inevitably, they will hit the wall: one tiny change breaks everything, and all their brute-forcing collapses. That moment of confusion is not failure... it is the doorway... They finally feel the need for theory. They learn it next. And then they apply it repeatedly on hardware, each iteration peeling back another layer. This is where effort turns into mastery. This is where pride is built. The old model teaches answers before students have ever felt the question. The new model builds the question first... and the learning follows naturally. Why cling to a theory-first model built for a bygone era, when a challenge-led approach makes far more sense in today’s world? #RethinkingRoboticsEducation This is the second post in my series on rethinking robotics education for today's learners.

From pixels to silicon: learning FPGAs the playful way What if learning complex subjects felt like drawing with crayons? That’s how we’re approaching FPGA design—playing like kids, sketching shapes on LCD screens, and turning math into moving objects. Over the past days, students from universities across Mexico teamed up with seasoned logic designers to explore the path from Verilog on an FPGA to the mindset required to design real ASICs. We start simple—lines, circles, sprites—then layer timing, modules, and state machines until screens come alive. Curiosity leads, rigor follows. This is learning-by-doing at its best: joyful, visual, and hands-on—where a single pixel becomes a lesson in timing, a color gradient becomes a pipeline, and a bouncing ball teaches finite state machines. If you believe advanced tech should be accessible, collaborative, and fun, you’re in the right company. Let’s keep building the future—one pixel, one module, one chip at a time. #FPGA #ASIC #DigitalDesign #Verilog #LearningByDoing #STEM #EngineeringEducation #OpenHardware #Innovation #Mexico #LCD #MathInMotion #MakerMindset #FutureOfLearning Christian Penaloza, Ph.D. Dr Artemisa Jaramillo, PhD Uriel Jaramillo Edgar Rafael Hernandez Rios Sebastian Peralta Yuri Panchul

Why do 70% of students never touch lab equipment? Look, I'm not against traditional teaching methods → I'm against limiting learning. Truth is: Most experiments have too many students. Equipment access is restricted. So 70% just watch others work. Instead, focus on "real practice": 1. Every student gets hands-on time 2. Don't merely "watch" → actually "do" 3. Give access to hidden mechanisms 4. Let students control their learning pace 5. Enable unlimited practice attempts 6. Create deeper understanding 7. Track actual skill development 8. Build industry-ready confidence 9. Make mistakes without consequences (We've seen this transform 100+ universities with VR) 99% of students grasp concepts faster. Why? Because the learning is experiential. Because they've seen it work. Because they've mastered it hands-on. Any other way? Not really effective. Practice everything → Understand deeply → Master completely Hope this helps reshape your teaching! (Share ♻️ if it resonates) P.S. What percentage of your students actually get hands-on practice? Let's change those numbers. #virtualreality #edtech #vr #innovation #engineering

#mystudentmystrength #myteachingmystrength 🚀 Transforming Learning with the Flipped Classroom Model in IoT! 🔄💡 This semester, I implemented a flipped classroom approach in my 2nd-semester Internet of Things (IoT) course—and the transformation in student engagement and learning was remarkable! Instead of traditional lectures, students explored core concepts before class through curated videos, readings, and interactive content. Class time was then used for hands-on activities, collaborative problem-solving, and real-world applications. 🎯 Why Flipped Learning Worked So Well: 🔍 Deeper Understanding: Students arrived prepared, ready to explore advanced IoT topics. 🤝 Active Engagement: Class became a space for experimentation and peer learning. ⏱️ Self-Paced Learning: Students could revisit materials at their own pace. 🛠️ More Practical Time: We had more time for labs, prototyping, and applying theory. 📈 Improved Outcomes: Students felt more confident and better prepared for assessments. 🌟 Success Story Highlight: One of the standout moments came from a student team that used their class time to prototype a smart irrigation system using sensors and microcontrollers. They applied what they learned and also presented their project. This kind of initiative and real-world application is exactly what flipped learning is designed to inspire. This approach empowered students to take ownership of their learning and made the classroom a hub of innovation and curiosity. 💧 Smart Irrigation System – Student Innovation in Action! This conceptual model illustrates a student-built IoT solution featuring: 🌱 Soil Moisture Sensors for real-time data collection 🔌 ESP32 Microcontroller for processing and wireless communication 📲 Mobile App Interface to control irrigation remotely 💡 Automated Water Pump triggered by sensor thresholds A great example of how flipped learning empowers students to apply theory to real-world challenges! 💬 Have you tried flipped learning in your courses? I’d love to hear your experiences and insights! #FlippedClassroom #IoT #EdTech #ActiveLearning #HigherEducation #StudentSuccess #TeachingInnovation #STEMEducation #ProjectBasedLearning BNM Institute Of Technology Prof Eishwar Maanay Vaishnavee Maanay Dr. Yasha Jyothi M Shirur Satheesh Kumar Sowmya Narayanan Sadagopan Saritha Chakrasali Dr. Bindu S Kishore SARALA T Arpita Kulkarni Dr. Vijayashree Lakshman Dr.S.Y. Kulkarni T J Ramamurthy Dr.krishnamurthy GN