2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

We developed a hands-on learning experience using seven interactive optics-themed games, designed and built by upper-level undergraduate electrical and computer engineering (ECE) students. The project aimed to introduce incoming ECE students to core optics concepts in an engaging, accessible format while also highlighting the kinds of technical and creative skills they will develop throughout the program. Each game station integrates authentic engineering practices, such as microcontroller programming, embedded systems design, circuit design, sensing, and actuation, within an optics context, allowing new students to explore technical material through play.

During the session, participants rotate through the game stations in a carefully managed sequence that avoids overlap and ensures a smooth flow. The games are fully functional and self-contained, allowing students to engage independently with the material. The games are supported by a complete set of technical documentation, including hardware schematics, embedded code, mechanical designs, and calibration procedures, all of which are openly available for adoption and adaptation.

To evaluate the educational value of the experience, data were collected from both the upper-level student builders and the incoming student players. Builder reflections showed that students not only applied concepts from prior coursework but extended them through self-directed learning, gaining new skills and a deeper understanding of how to translate theoretical knowledge into practical, hands-on experiments. For the players, pre- and post-concept checks and engagement surveys indicated short-term improvements in optics understanding and motivation to pursue further studies in ECE.

The set of experiments developed through this project can be implemented flexibly: each game can stand alone as an individual lab activity within a course, or the full set can be used together as part of a cohesive, game-based learning experience, as detailed in this work. By combining optics concepts with ECE design and prototyping practices, the games offer a practical and engaging model for instruction. Their open-ended, student-built nature makes them well-suited for adaptation by other institutions, whether as part of a first-year introduction, an outreach activity, or an integrated course module.

This is a student-authored paper under the supervision of a faculty member.