Title: Open soundcard as a platform for practical, laboratory study of digital audio: a proposal

Authors: Smilen Dimitrov; Stefania Serafin

Addresses: Medialogy, Aalborg University Copenhagen, Lautrupvang 15, DK-2750 Ballerup, Denmark ' Medialogy, Aalborg University Copenhagen, Lautrupvang 15, DK-2750 Ballerup, Denmark

Abstract: This article investigates how lacking suitable platforms for laboratory exercises becomes a learning problem, limiting the practical experience students gain. In engineering education, laboratory demonstration difficulty of issues like real-time streaming in digital signal and audio processing is highly platform-dependent. Our objective is to propose using our work in open source soundcards (Dimitrov, 2010; Dimitrov and Serafin, 2012, 2011a, 2011b, 2011c), as low-cost platform basis for potential development of innovative laboratory courses. We find that the soundcard implementation study afforded by such laboratories, and their open nature, could testably improve the diversity of demonstrated practical topics, while maintaining engineering students' motivation.

Keywords: audio systems; open source systems; electronics engineering; computer science; student motivation; operating system drivers; advanced Linux sound architecture; ALSA; microcontrollers; field programmable gate arrays; FPGA; engineering education laboratories; problem-based learning; PBL; higher education; digital audio.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIL.2014.058865

International Journal of Innovation and Learning, 2014 Vol.15 No.1, pp.1 - 27

Published online: 21 Jun 2014 *

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