Design and Development of 8051 Microcontroller Kit Micro-LABlet for Active Learning

Learning a subject with suitable teaching aid enhances the understanding capability of a student. Theoretical explanations using conventional method of black board or advanced multimedia projections leave students in imaginative world. In engineering, there is a scope for learning through building workable models that provides deeper insight towards the theoretical concepts. This paper addresses the project based learning concepts developed to teach 8051 microcontroller. An 8051 microcontroller based kit Micro-LABlet is designed & developed that can be powered using USB and is capable of communicating to ten peripheral devices. The designed kit is introduced in the curricula of fourth semester engineering to enhance the learning skills. Feedback from students is promising and encouraging which supports the idea of model/project based learning.