Project-based learning is an effective pedagogical approach in contemporary computer science education, integrating theory with practical skills through real-world projects that cultivate critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration. At the XXXXX, students engage in an Informatics Project after foundational coursework in computer science, programming, and mathematics. Traditionally focused on full-stack software development—including front-end, back-end, databases, and containerized deployment—the project was expanded for the 2025/2026 winter semester to incorporate embedded hardware integration via the XXXX remote laboratory platform. This integration addresses industry demands for hybrid software-hardware competencies essential for cyber-physical systems, IoT, and smart industries.

This paper examines the pedagogical benefits and technological challenges of embedding remote hardware access within a PBL-based full-stack software development course. It investigates how hands-on interaction with embedded microcontrollers enhances students’ mastery of asynchronous software architectures, microservice orchestration, containerization, and communication protocols like MQTT and RESTful APIs. By integrating physical hardware controllers into an otherwise software-centric curriculum, this approach bridges academic preparation and industrial multidisciplinary competencies, preparing students for roles in Industry 4.0 and IoT development.

The Informatics Project’s core task challenges pairs of students to collaboratively develop a multiplayer quiz application spanning multiple technology layers: a Bootstrap and TypeScript web front-end, a Java Vert.x backend, and MariaDB for persistent data. The system supports real-time multiplayer interaction through both web-based and hardware game controllers remotely accessed via the XXXXX platform, which employs ESP32 microcontrollers. Controllers communicate with the backend using scalable, industry-standard asynchronous protocols. The semester begins with a kickoff introducing project constraints and a preconfigured Docker Compose environment containing essential microservices and demonstration setups to establish baseline communication patterns. Students manage source control and collaboration in GitLab using structured branching and issue tracking, mirroring professional workflows. Remote lab access enables continuous hardware testing from any location, supplemented by on-campus openLab sessions for mentoring and technical support.

Preliminary results demonstrate that integrating remote hardware into PBL enhances student engagement and motivation by providing tangible interaction with physical devices absent in many software-centric programs. This setup helps students grasp asynchronous communications, containerized service orchestration, and embedded system programming more deeply. The remote lab mitigates traditional physical accessibility barriers, supports inclusive and hybrid learning modalities, and fosters teamwork, version control discipline, and professional workflow adherence. Early feedback indicates increased confidence in developing complex distributed systems and hardware-software co-design, with a greater appreciation for interdisciplinary engineering.

In conclusion, expanding full-stack education with remote lab hardware access through PBL creates a scalable, adaptable, and effective teaching framework bridging software and embedded systems education. The XXXXX remote lab offers hands-on hardware feedback in a controlled yet remote environment, significantly lowering experiential learning barriers while supporting geographical and educational inclusivity. This model offers promising opportunities for broader adoption to enhance project authenticity in engineering curricula, emphasizing structured project management and continuous mentoring to optimize learning. Future work aims to rigorously quantify learning outcomes, scale to larger cohorts, and refine hybrid curricula aligned with evolving workforce needs in smart industries and connected system development.