Paper ID #35281

A Hands-On Online Summer Arduino Workshop for Middle School Students

Dr. Shari Klotzkin, Binghamton University
Shari Klotzkin has a PhD in Aerospace Engineering from University of Southern California and has
taught undergraduate mechanical engineering classes at Penn State, Temple University, and Binghamton
University. Currently she is working on a project at AMAG Consulting.
Dr. Howard S Kimmel, New Jersey Institute of Technology
HOWARD KIMMEL is Professor-Emeritus of Chemical Engineering and Retired Executive Director of
the Center for Pre-College Programs at New Jersey Institute of Technology. In 2019 Dr. Kimmel was a
recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring,
one of 15 awardees nationwide. In addition, Dr. Kimmel has received numerous awards in recognition
of his service, including: ASEE 1985 Vincent Bendix Minorities in Engineering Award, and ASEE CEN-
TENNIAL MEDALION for ”Significant Lasting Impact on Engineering Education,” 1993. The NJIT
Foundation Overseers Public and Institute Service Award, 1981 (First Recipient) and in 2005; and the
Allan R. Cullimore Distinguished Service Award (NJIT) for 1991.

Dr. David Klotzkin, State University of New York at Binghamton

David Klotzkin received the B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute,
Troy, NY, in 1988, the M.S. degree in materials science from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, in 1994,
and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan, in 1997 and
1998, respectively. His research interests are in optoelectronics devices, including semiconductor lasers,
waveguide amplifiers, organic light emitters, and photonic-crystal based planar lightwave circuits. His in-
dustrial experience includes three years of graphics hardware design at IBM corporation from 1988-1991,
and several years of semiconductor laser design for telecommunications applications at various compa-
nies, including Lucent Technologies and Agere Systems. In 2002, he joined the Electrical, Computer
Engineering and Computer Science Department at the University of Cincinnati. In 2008, he moved to the
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of Binghamton University.

American
c Society for Engineering Education, 2021
 A Hands-On Online Summer Arduino Workshop
for Middle School Students

The pandemic has had an enormous impact on daily life, from long-distance travel to access to
restaurants, and one significant but less-noted area is in the access to pre-college summer
activities. Educational camps and programs are a big part of many children’s summer
schedules, and these were generally not available in 2020.

To address this gap, a week-long Arduino workshop was developed to give middle school
students an opportunity to actively engage in fun and educational STEM activities. The
challenge was to see if an engaging STEM program on electronic hardware could be delivered
remotely [1]. With the aid of a very capable electronic simulator program, the content could be
effectively delivered and even implemented on real hardware.

The class met twice daily for a week and culminated with each student presenting their
individual project on the final day. The lessons were structured as a brief demo by the
instructors, followed by a mini-project, such as interfacing with an LCD display. While
working on the activities, students were assigned to one of three breakout rooms, each one with
an instructor.

The key software was the Tinkercad Circuits simulator, which could realistically simulate an
Arduino microprocessor, including the programming, and associated electronic
components. Students created Arduino programs using either a beginner-friendly graphical
interface or the text editor. The graphical interface is based on the block coding of the Scratch
programming language and is a proven successful introduction to programming for kids as
young as elementary school age [2].

The projects (programs and electronic components) were simulated in Tinkercad and then
implemented on real Arduino. The challenge then (to the students, and to the instructors
helping them remotely) was being able to exactly replicate the connections and wiring on the
breadboard in real life. Most students did this successfully and some realized very intricate
projects.

Overall, these students spent a productive week during a difficult year and emerged with a
working knowledge of electronic hardware and Arduino programming.

1. Introduction

The pandemic has had an enormous impact on daily life, from long-distance travel to access to
restaurants, and one significant but less-noted area is in the access to pre-college summer
activities. Educational camps and programs are a big part of many children’s summer
schedules, and these were generally not available in 2020.
To address this gap, a week-long Arduino workshop was developed to give middle school
students an opportunity to actively engage in fun and educational STEM activities. The
challenge was to see if an engaging STEM program on electronic hardware could be delivered
remotely [1]. Most of the middle school students had little prior experience in both
programming and electronic components. The use of the Tinkercad Circuits simulator enabled
the instructors to introduce both aspects online to ease the transition to real hardware. The
Tinkercad software includes a graphical programming interface to make developing and
debugging Arduino codes more accessible to students. However, the simulator is powerful
enough to allow participants to experiment with, create and debug worthwhile and innovative
projects virtually.

2. Methodology

The goal of the project was to provide a fun experience for the students while learning about
engineering. The program was implemented as follows: It was advertised in the local middle
schools and on the Binghamton University web page and reached its cap of thirty registrants
almost immediately. An Arduino kit (Elegoo Uno Super Starter Kit) was recommended but not
required, though almost all (28/32) of the students purchased the kit.

The class met twice daily for a week and culminated with each student presenting an individual
or group project on the final day. The lessons were structured as a brief demo by the
instructors followed by a mini-project. For example, one project involved interfacing with an
LCD display. To assist the students with the mini-projects, they were each assigned to one of
three breakout rooms, each one with an instructor. The program website [2] gives the complete
schedule, list of activities and the final projects completed (with names elided).

The key software was the Tinkercad Circuits simulator [3], which could realistically simulate an
Arduino microprocessor, including the programming and associated electronic components.
Students created Arduino programs using either a beginner-friendly graphical interface or the
text editor. The graphical interface is based on the block coding of the Scratch programming
language and is a proven successful introduction to programming for kids as young as
elementary school age [4].

In general, the projects (programs and electronic components) were first simulated and
debugged in Tinkercad. The computer program was then uploaded to an actual Arduino. The
challenge then (to the students, and to the instructors helping them remotely) was being able to
exactly replicate the connections and wiring on the breadboard in real life. Most students did
this successfully and some realized very intricate projects.
2.1 Participants

The demographics from the initial registration information are shown in the following table.

Table 1 Participant demographics.

a.
Grades: 4th -5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
# Participants: 2 1 12 8 9

b.
Male Female
21 11

2.2 Software Environment

Tinkercad is well known for its 3D modeling package, but the circuits simulation software is a
more recent addition and is a useful educational tool. It runs in a web browser, so it is
accessible from almost any computer or Chromebook. Though participants can sign up for their
own Tinkercad accounts, an account is not required to belong to a Tinkercad class.

Tinkercad Circuits allows users to put together complex circuits using electronic components
from a parts library (Figure 1). The parts can be dragged from the library to a workspace where
they are connected and simulated. If the user adds a programmable component, such as an
Arduino microprocessor, a coding panel can be pulled out over the parts library. The user has a
choice between seeing text, code blocks or both. However, to edit the text code, the user must
switch to text only and cannot go back to blocks.

To use a real Arduino, the Arduino Create software is needed and can either be installed on a
computer or run in a web browser. Since it interacts with real hardware, it requires a USB
connection and installation of a plug in [5].

During the workshop, the instructors met with participants over Zoom. The exercises that
participants did during the zoom meeting were presented on a webpage created using Blogspot,
which allows for easy presentation and updates of the online material. Multiple pages can
easily be created, organized and hidden or displayed as needed. Within minutes, clarifications
can be added to the webpage and made available to participants.
Figure 1: This view of the Tinkercad window shows a part of the library of components on
the right side. The larger window on the left is the workspace.

2.3 Hardware

Parents were encouraged, though not required, to purchase an Arduino kit. We recommended
the Elegoo Super Starter kit available on Amazon for around $37 because it has a good selection
of accessories for beginners, as well as excellent documentation. However, the activities use
generally available parts that should be included in most beginner Arduino kits. Most of the
workshop activities could be accomplished with either the Tinkercad simulation or the Arduino
kits, and most participants did both.

Parents were encouraged to test the Arduino Create software [5] in advance of the workshop
start. This allowed some initial troubleshooting and saved time and effort later.

2.4 Workshop Schedule

The general workshop schedule was as follows:

Day 1: Introduction to Tinkercad, parts of a circuit, connecting the Arduino microprocessor to

the computer and uploading a code to light up an LED.
Days 2-3: Students created circuits using components, such as the potentiometer, piezo electric
buzzer, motor, LCD screen, and a variety of sensors. Most of the components used were
available in both the Arduino kit and in Tinkercad.
Day 4: Students worked on a project of their own choosing and created slides for a
presentation.
Day 5: Some last-minute work finishing up projects and final presentations.

The first four days included both a morning and afternoon session. Each session began with a
short introduction to scientific or engineering principles, a demonstration generally in
Tinkercad, and then activities for the participants to work through on their own. Detailed
directions for these activities are available on program website.

While doing the hand-on activities both in Tinkercad and on a real Arduino, participants
remained on Zoom. They were split into breakout rooms (each with about ten students and an
instructor) to get individualized attention.

Each hands-on session, explained on the website, included a Main Activity in Tinkercad to
illustrate the major points of the lesson, a Try-it Live activity which includes pictures of the real
components, and any other information needed to successfully put together a circuit. Finally, a
Challenge Activity was usually available, which had additional activities that could be done in
either Tinkercad or a real Arduino. Though participants without the kit could not do the Try It
Live activities, the Challenge Activities at the end of the lesson could be done either partly or
completely in Tinkercad. In reality all the participants completed the Main Activities
successfully, but some decided to leave the program without doing the challenge activities,
which is easy to do in a virtual workshop. This benefitted the program in two ways: 1. Those
with a shorter attention span could easily leave to do something else, and 2. The instructors
could provide more individualized attention and encouragement to those that had more
difficulty getting the circuits to work.

The Challenge Activity often involved adding another component to a circuit put together
earlier in the lesson and could be done in either in Tinkercad or with real components. For
instance, in the lesson on connecting sensors, including the temperature sensor, to the Arduino,
the challenge activity involved adding an LED light that would turn on when the temperature
gets too hot. While the online Tinkercad tutorials were not specifically included in this
workshop, several basic activities were similar and one of the Learn Arduino projects was
adapted (the Crystal Ball project).
Figure 2: Use of both Tinkercad and a real Arduino for an ultrasonic sensor project.

The morning session started at 9:30AM and the afternoon at 1:30PM. Each session lasted
around 2 hours. By the end of each session, the instructors were able to answer questions
individually so that all participants were able to finish the Main Activity and Try It Live
activity. Many students had the time and were motivated to try the Challenge activity.

The final projects and presentations were successful, and some were fairly involved,
considering limited time and resources. One of the completed projects is shown in Figure 2.
2.5 Coding

Arduino projects require both hardware and coding, both of which are simulated in Tinkercad.
Tinkercad offers both coding using Scratch-like blocks, called Codeblocks and standard text
coding. With either blocks or text coding, the Arduino program can be saved on the disk in
standard text format and uploaded to a real Arduino using Arduino Create.

Figure 3 shows an example of the block coding on the left and the text coding on the right.
Notice that the steps to initialize the variables and the Arduino pin at the beginning of the text
program are written automatically by Tinkercad. By using the block coding option, participants
can successfully write a working Arduino code without having to get bogged down in syntax
and to memorize key words and function names. For instance, the Tinkercad temperature
sensor code block even computes the temperature from the sensor reading, so users do not need
to know the voltage-number-to-temperature conversion. In addition, the text code shows the
conversion, which can be seen when the blocks are converted to text. This way, users can learn
about the need for the conversion without having to spend time looking up a tedious equation.

During the workshop, both block and text codes were included in the activity directions. For
the first few Arduino projects, the participants were given the program, but they had to put it
into Tinkercad themselves. After that, they were encouraged to construct at least part of the
Arduino code themselves with some basic information about how to get started.

As students become more comfortable with coding, they can start off their program using block
coding and then switch to text to further modify and test the code before uploading it to
Arduino. Most of the activities during the workshop could be accomplished with block coding.
Both the LCD screen, which introduced the idea of loading an external library and so did not
have a code block, and input from the serial monitor, required text coding.

Though the workshop did not specifically use the ultrasonic sensor, because of the ease of the
block coding in Tinkercad, several students were able to incorporate it into their final project.
Tinkercad’s code block for the ultrasonic sensor automatically writes a function in the text
coding to read from the ultrasonic sensor and any required set up code (Figure 4). Whether
Codeblocks or text were used for the Arduino code in Tinkercad, the student can then save it
and write it to a real Arduino.

Almost all Arduino codes that work in Tinkercad also work on the real Arduino. Since the
instructors had direct access to the students' work in the Tinkercad simulation, problems could
be addressed and debugged even working remotely.
Figure 3: Tinkercad has both text coding (right) and code blocks (left). When using code blocks,
Tinkercad also creates the text verson.

Figure 4: The ultrasonic sensor code block is an example of how all the text coding required by
the Arduino is automatically created by Tinkercad Codeblocks.
3. Results

3.1 Final Projects

By the end of the workshop, students had learned some basics of constructing circuits and using
the Arduino microprocessor and were able to create projects mostly independently. Since the
assignment was very open-ended, the projects ranged in complexity from simple blinking lights
and songs using the piezoelectric buzzer to backup warning cameras (Figure 5) and weather
stations (Figure 6). Some participants were adventurous enough to experiment with
components that were not specifically covered during the week, such as the proximity sensor
and remote-control input.

For the project, they were encouraged to first debug it in Tinkercad before putting it together on
the real Arduino. Those without a strong programming background were able to use block
coding in Tinkercad to create the code for the Arduino.

Figure 5: This project example shows the block coding that was used. Many projects included
both a Tinkercad simulation and a real Arduino circuit.
Figure 6: This project did not include a Tinkercad simulation because the thermistor in the kit is
different from the temperature sensor in Tinkercad.

3.2 Challenges

The workshop made use of the classroom feature of Tinkercad which allows the instructors to
examine students’ designs and help students fix problems with their circuits. To examine a
student’s circuits and Arduino code, Tinkercad gives the instructor a copy of the project. Then
the instructor can figure out a solution without changing the student’s work and then suggest
ways for the student to fix it. Most issues with setting up Arduino Create were successfully
addressed before the workshop with the parents.

The real challenges arouse with participants trying to replicate the Tinkercad circuit in real life.
A working circuit in Tinkercad reproduced exactly in real life would work as expected with
very few exceptions. However, real life circuits are much messier (see Figure 6) than a
Tinkercad circuit (Figure 7), more difficult to connect wires properly and easier to break.

Also, sometimes the participants needed some help properly matching the correct component in
the Arduino kit with the Tinkercad part (for example, they confused the three pin and four pin
distance sensors).
Figure 7: In Tinkercad Circuits the wire connections are relatively easy to follow.

Had the workshop been in person, the instructors would have been able to easily identify
problems with the circuit. Since the instructors and participants interacted online only,
problems were identified and solved by having the participant show the circuit over Zoom.
Though these issues were eventually solved, it was more time consuming, and the instructors
were dependent on the participant holding the circuit up to the camera at exactly the correct
angle to examine it. It was a learning curve for the participants to figure out how to connect
wires on a breadboard. If this workshop were to run again, perhaps incorporating a few
activities that illustrate how to connect wires in a breadboard would be helpful. Also, some of
the real electronic parts are prone to breaking. LEDs are fragile, but the kits came with plenty
of extra. The part that caused the most difficulty was the DC motor; the wires on many of the
motors fell off. Fortunately, some of the parents were able to soldier the wires back on to the
motor. If the workshop had been in person, soldiering wires back onto the motor would have
been trivial. In addition, some extra circuits components that were not included in the kits could
have been available for experimentation.

Though the Tinkercad software is very versatile, it does have some shortcomings. Some
components, such as the temperature sensor, do not have an identical counterpart in the real
Figure 8: This is the same circuit as in Figure 7 using real components. Making sure the wires
are connected correctly is more challenging.
Arduino kits, so the circuit and code required some modifications. Other components, such as
the IR remote required some minor code modifications when transferred from Tinkercad to the
real Arduino.

4. Discussion

The goal of this project was achieved. Rather than classroom-based lessons, this program was meant to
be fun as well as a one-week learning experience for the students. Therefore, no pre-tests or post-tests
were given or deemed necessary. Hence, only a qualitative study was done of the students’ experiences
in the workshop. This introduction to a STEM field that they may not have experienced previously
would hopefully increase their interest in considering a STEM career in the future.[4]

The participants were surveyed before and after the workshop. Prior to this workshop, 75% of
the students had little or no programming experience and only 4 students had experience with a
text-based programming language. Over 80% of the students had little to no experience with
circuits. The post-workshop survey had 22 responses and slides for 24 final projects were
created (one group project by two siblings).

4.1 Student Feedback

To help with future planning, a post-workshop survey included a few questions about the
activities and about coding in particular.

Table 2 summarizes responses of the participants to the post-workshop survey. The table shows
responses of whether they agree, disagree, or have no opinion to the following statements:
I had fun! (FUN)
I learned something! (LEAR)
The projects were too easy! (EASY)
The projects were too hard! (HARD)
I want to be an engineer! (ENGIN)
Table 2 Post-workshop survey responses (N.O. is ‘No Opinion’)
Grade Response FUN LEAR EASY HARD ENGIN
th
5 gr.
Agree 1 1 0 1 0
1 stud.
Disagree 0 0 1 0 0

N. O. 0 0 0 0 1
7th gr.
Agree 6 7 0 0 6
7 stud.
Disagree 0 0 6 6 1

N. O. 1 0 1 1 0
8th gr.
Agree 4 5 0 0 2
5 stud.
Disagree 0 0 5 4 2

N. O. 1 0 0 1 1
9th gr.
Agree 8 9 1 3 5
9 stud.
Disagree 0 0 6 4 1

N. O. 1 0 2 2 3
All the students agreed to the statement that “I learned something.” Of the 22 students, 3 had no
opinion to the statement “I had fun” while the other 19 students agreed with it. Thirteen of the
students indicated that they “want to be an engineer” while 5 appear to be undecided and only 4
disagreed with the statement. Most of the students disagreed with the statements regarding
whether the projects were either “too hard” or too easy” indicating that they were at the correct
level for middle school students. While the 5th grader indicated that the projects were too hard,
only 3 9th graders agreed with those statements.

A coding question was included on the post workshop survey to see if the availability of
Codeblocks offered by Tinkercad had a significant effect on the students’ comfort level with
using Arduino since traditional Arduino requires text coding. 60% said that they were most
comfortable with code blocks, and 45% said that they were equally comfortable with text and
code blocks. Several students expressed an interest in spending more time on coding during the
workshop.

The end of program survey also provided some insight into the learning acquired by the
students. For example:
“I thought this was an awesome learning experience, I had a lot of fun while being an engineer
and creating projects. I hope to do his next year as well!!!!!”
“Learning about different things”
”Being creative in order to make our projects.”
“Being able to put together circuits and learn how to use different parts”
“The best part was probably the projects themselves as they implemented so many elements and
hardware, created by us, eventually forming a work of engineering skill.”
“Thank you for such a great experience! I definitely learned from this class and enjoyed it.”

The survey included space for the participants’ favorite part of the workshop. At least 5 of the
participants mentioned that the highlight was creating their own project at the end. A few of the
comments are shown in Table 3.

Table 3: Some comments from post-workshop survey.

“I liked the block coding and how easy it was”

“I liked the fact that we didn't have to solder anything and we got to make our own
circuits at the end.”
“I liked that the teachers stayed on zoom until they were sure that everyone had gotten
the help that they needed. It was great to always have the chance to ask a question.”
I liked that we got to do our own projects on our own time". (Certainly an advantage of a
virtual workshop.)
˜This program was awesome I really liked it.
5. Conclusion

By the end of the workshop, the participants had learned some STEM skills that will encourage
them to try more activities in the future, and maybe even consider a career in a technical field.

Despite the challenges in delivering this content remotely, almost all of the students picked up
the flow and process of programming Arduinos and breadboarding. Overall, the participants
(and the instructors) felt they had a productive and educational week.

References

(1) C. Vidal-Silva, J. Serrano-Malebran and F. Pereira, "Scratch and Arduino for Effectively
Developing Programming and Computing-Electronic Competences in Primary School
Children," 2019 38th International Conference of the Chilean Computer Science Society
(SCCC), Concepcion, Chile, 2019, pp. 1-7, doi: 10.1109/SCCC49216.2019.8966401.

(2) S. Klotzkin (2020, July 3) Arduino Summer Workshop. Retrieved February 19, 2021, from
https://klotzkinsummerworkshop.blogspot.com/

(3) Autodesk (2021) Learn How to Use Tinkercad. Retrieved February 19, 2021, from
http://www.tinkercad.com/learn/circuits

(4) M. Armoni, O. Meerbaum--Salant, M. Ben-Ar, “From Scratch to “Real”

Programming”, ACM Transactions on Computing Education, vol. 14, no.4. article no.:
25, February 2015. [Online] https://doi.org/10.1145/2677087

(5) Arduino (2016, November 21) Getting Started with Arduino Web Editor on Various
Platforms - Arduino Project Hub. Retrieved February 19, 2021, from
(https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/Arduino_Genuino/getting-started-with-arduino-
web-editor-on-various-platforms-4b3e4a).

(6) Shultz, Robert, Daniel Edward Ueda, Jessica S. Ward, and Adam K. Fontecchio. "A
Hands-On, Arduino-Based Approach to Develop Student Engineering Skills and
Introduce Cybersecurity Concepts to K-12 Students." In 2015 ASEE Annual Conference
& Exposition, pp. 26-54. 2015.