WLAN-Designer: a Web-based software tool to enhance teaching and learning wireless LAN design

Until recently, it has been difficult to motivate students to learn about wireless local area networks (WLANs) design because students find the subject dry and theoretical. A Web-based software tool (named WLAN-Designer) has been developed at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) that gives students an interactive, hands-on experience in WLAN design. The WLAN-Designer is suitable for classroom use in introductory level courses in wireless networking. This paper describes the WLAN-Designer and its effectiveness in teaching and learning about WLAN design. The effectiveness of the WLAN-Designer has been evaluated both formally by students (student evaluation forms) and informally - through discussion within the teaching team. The paper concludes by discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the WLAN-Designer and that the WLAN-Designer has a positive impact on students' performance.