In engineering education, it is critically important for theory teaching to be combined with practice. In order to achieve the teaching goals of a single-chip microcomputer (SCM) principles and interface technology course, the CDIO engineering education concept is introduced to solve practical engineering problems. On the basis of the CDIO engineering education outline, a task-driven teaching model with "Teaching, Learning & Doing" at its core is constructed. Basic knowledge and ability used in designing SCM application systems are covered in each real instance, and the practical ability of students is cultivated through the experimental course, individual projects and team cooperation projects. In team learning, each group consisting of 3–4 members is required to design a mechanical system or piece of equipment whose main control unit is an SCM. The design process should be divided into different parts, including market analysis and research, overall scheme demonstration and design, mechanical structure design, SCM control system design, system assembly and debugging, and technical and economic analysis. Finally, students will write technical reports to explain their projects and conduct on-the-spot system demonstrations during their defenses. The achievement of every group or group member is evaluated by peer assessment and teacher evaluation. Through the project study based on the CDIO model, students will understand that the development and application of microcomputer systems is an iterative and continuous improvement process. In order to obtain a high-quality product, every step in the process should be improved. When the course learning is finished, the performance of the students is generally evaluated by assignments, discussions, quizzes, experiments, individual reports, group work and the final exam. The above teaching practice is a significant enhancement demonstrated in the students' ability to develop SCM application systems, along with notable improvements in their engineering practice and innovation skills.
