Improving a practical course assignment for mechatronics education

Hands-on learning is widely recognized as an essential component of mechatronics education. In this article, we describe an implementation of a student work assignment in an advanced course in mechatronics. The article compares the previous free-form project with the new common-form exercise. The purpose is to renew the form, execution, and grading of the assignment, for better control over the learning outcomes and focusing the workload of the teaching staff without needlessly limiting the students’ own exploration of the topic. The evaluation is based on the teachers’ observations and the students’ feedback. In the assignment, the students will design and build a controllable see-saw mechanism powered by ordinary computer cooling fans. Similar experiments are commonly used for teaching in the form of ready-made plans, kits or complete devices. In our version, we wanted to involve the students in the lower level design to better illustrate the effects of mechanical details on the control system. The updated exercise was well received, the students reported clearer understanding of the synergy between the different disciplines of mechatronics, and the teachers were able to provide more comprehensive assistance on questions. Some challenges were identified, including a lack of analytical research by the students when not specifically prompted to do so. In our opinion this renewed approach is flexible enough to accommodate students from various backgrounds and helps the teachers to better adjust the supplied materials according to their students’ particular needs.