Effectiveness of design projects in teaching Telecommunications Engineering

We studied the effectiveness of design projects in teaching Telecommunications Engineering to undergraduate students. The projects consisted in designing and prototyping of relatively complex electronic or optoelectronic devices. The distinctive feature of these projects was their real-world interdisciplinary nature. We discuss the requirements for educationally effective projects and describe the technical and educational results that we achieved. The recommendations that we derive are applicable to teaching electrical, electronic, and telecommunications engineering to undergraduate students.