ACTIVE LEARNING IN MECHANICAL AND MECHATRONICS ENGINEERING, CASE STUDY: COMPUTER-BASED INTERACTIVE LEARNING IN ROBOTICS CLASSROOM

摘要

This paper is concerned with the review of active learning methods implemented in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering courses. The active learning methods are categorized into two groups of in-class activities without the use of computers and computer-based classrooms. The strategies to encourage university instructors to adopt active learning methods are also discussed. The paper also addresses the pilot project for the implementation of a novel computer-based experiential learning in the course of "Robot Manipulators: Kinematics, Dynamics, Control" at the iniversity of Waterloo, Canada. A Student Interactive Learning System (SILS) has been developed for in-class activities in this course. The SILS system has two components: students' mobile devices and a front-end website in which the instructor has control to upload the demonstrations and quizzes and receive students' responses. The students are connected to the website through the WiFi connection. Findings of an initial survey, which was conducted at the start of the semester, revealed that majority of the students find the conventional classroom passive and believe adding interactivity in the lecture enhances their in-class learning experiences.