2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Embedding experiential learning opportunities early in the curriculum is essential for helping students integrate software and hardware concepts. This paper presents a scaffolded project-based learning (PBL) framework implemented in a second-year introductory embedded systems course that integrates Linux Bash scripting, C programming, and microcontroller-based development. Students progressed from structured laboratories to a multi-stage mini-project emphasizing sensing, timing, data processing, and system-level integration. Instructional impact was evaluated using a voluntary post-course questionnaire administered following ethics approval. Results indicate that approximately 75% of students reported improved understanding of how Bash, C, and microcontroller concepts integrate within a single embedded workflow, 69% reported clearer understanding of the role of Bash scripting in a microcontroller context, and 84% reported improved ability to reason about real-world embedded problems requiring coordinated software–hardware design. Qualitative reflections further suggest that students developed an end-to-end perspective on embedded systems, explicitly linking software decisions with hardware behavior. These findings suggest that early, scaffolded PBL can effectively support system-level reasoning and cross-domain integration in foundational electrical and computer engineering courses.