The use of a controlled wireless testbed in courses

Wireless networking has become a popular topic in both undergraduate and graduate courses. However, putting together good assignments in wireless networking is difficult because the behavior of the wireless network depends strongly on the physical environment. We have used a wireless networking testbed based on signal propagation emulation in a number of wireless networking courses. The wireless emulator supports highly realistic experiments, while also offering a high degree of control and repeatability. This combination is very useful in a teaching context. In this paper we give an overview of the wireless emulator and we describe how it was used to support assignments and open-ended projects in several courses. Categories and Subject Descriptors K.3.1 [Computers and Education]: Computer Use in Education General Terms Experimentation Keywords Wireless networking, education

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2009
• Where: ITICSE
• Authors: Peter Steenkiste
• Keywords: ITICSE 2009, Theoretical Computer Science, Wireless Emulator, Wireless Networking, Wireless Networking Courses