Course overview
This course aims to develop basic knowledge on artificial intelligence (AI). The course familiarises students with different search techniques, fields related to artificial intelligence, and applications of artificial intelligence.
Participants in piloting
This is a 6th semester core course offered in the Bachelor in Computer Engineering program of the Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering, Pulchowk Campus, IOE, Tribhuvan University. 48 students are typically enrolled in the course each year.
Use of ALIEN services and tools
Students were divided into 12 groups of 4 individuals. Each group was assigned a mini-project, the focus of which was a case study on the development of a simple application that deployed artificial intelligence and could be used for solving a real world problem. For example, students developed a system that provided recommendations based on the purchase history of users.
Each group collected and reviewed material on the web and campus intranet. They conducted meetings and had interactions with experts. They further collected necessary data and documents from experts or the internet. They explored existing solutions from the web and proposed an artificial intelligence-based system for the project. Groups presented their work and received feedback by the instructor and the expert. Finally, students developed a prototype on their design and demonstrated it to the class. The activity took place in the ALIEN problem-based learning lab, which includes workstations, projectors, and internet support. Students used software tools such as applications required for projections, Microsoft® Powerpoint for presentations, software development environments, and artificial intelligence-based platforms. In terms of educational content, students used material and datasets required for the mini-project domain, content on fundamentals of artificial intelligence available on the internet, and related books available at the university library.
At the beginning of the course students used the laboratory workstations and connectivity for exploration and data collection purposes. Students downloaded tutorials and articles over the internet and proposed a feasible solution for the problem assigned. Subsequently, students setup the required development environments on the laboratory workstations for developing an artificial intelligence solution. Each group delivered 2 presentations. The 1st presentation was on their proposed solution idea, on which they received feedback. The 2nd was a demonstration of the final product. The presentations were used as the basis for student evaluation.
