Abstract :
Recognizing the industry demand for students who are knowledgeable about microprocessors on the one hand and student curiosity about the topic on the other, the author was caught between a saturated curriculum and a total lack of financial support. With a number of enthusiastic students and some privately owned equipment, a club was started to give students an opportunity to work with the available hardware and software. As the club solidified, a low key teaching/learning style developed which produced a highly knowledgeable student in computer hardware and programming languages with surprising programming skill. The club is an important part of the Department of Electrical Engineering now, where microcomputer-related topics are taught effortlessly to interested and motivated students without the performance/time pressure of the classroom.