Teaching Digital Signal Processing With a Challenge on Image Forensics

With the advent of ubiquitous sensing and real-time data processing, the demand for engineers with solid signal processing skills has exceeded the supply by a large margin. However, even students in technical subjects often perceive signal processing as demanding and somewhat dry [4]. In many curricula, signal processing must compete with more attractive classes, such as hands-on courses on programming, robotics, or computer graphics. Hence, new directions in signal processing education are needed [1], [9], [10].

 

 

In the context of a collaboration bet - ween the University of Trento, Italy, and the University of Innsbruck, Austria, we had the opportunity to explore a new teaching modality for a signal processing course with a cohort of undergraduate students from both universities. Observing recent developments in innovative teaching, we targeted an educational approach that included the following: