14 teaching mechatronics an innovative group project based approach

Teaching Mechatronics: An Innovative Group Project-Based Approach WEN-JYE SHYR Department of Industrial Education and Technology, National Changhua University of Education, No 1, Jin-De Road, Changhua 500, Taiwan, ROC Received 15 March 2009; accepted 16 July 2009 ABSTRACT: This study presents an innovative group project-based approach to teaching mechatronics Mechatronics is a complex, highly technical and multidisciplinary field involving the design and manufacture of integrated products Mechatronics course at the undergraduate level is rapidly increasing across the world Most courses require student teams to design a product The complexity of student projects can make administration of mechatronics courses extremely difficult Students develop both practical and theoretical understanding of mechatronics while working on group projects They also develop the interpersonal and communication skills needed to work in a multi-disciplinary field This study describes a group project-based approach for enabling teams of students to complete mechatronics projects A set of heuristic guidelines is also proposed At the National Changhua University of Education in the Department of Industrial Education and Technology, this approach has yielded high student satisfaction and achievement ß 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc Comput Appl Eng Educ 20: 93
102, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/cae; DOI 10.1002/cae.20377 Keywords: mechatronics; group project-based approach; engineering education INTRODUCTION Learning styles vary from person to person Some might be very efficient in learning from only reading well selected learning material, while others absolutely need to experiment However, psychological investigations have shown that in general people remember only about 10% of the content that they read, but 90% of what they experience It is well known that students learn and retain more as they become more engaged with instructional materials Students typically learn 20% of the material taught by hearing, 40% by seeing and hearing, and 75% by seeing, hearing, and doing Well-designed instruction modules offer the possibility of achieving the 75% goal [1] The mechatronics course sequence integrates the fundamental elements of mechanical, electrical, engineering and information systems to culminate in a powerful, adaptable, interdisciplinary approach to mechatronics In the laboratory, students are often provided with a rich supply of sensors, actuators and data collection and control tools that allow for multiple solutions to a given design problem A broad based approach, involving student built projects controlled using a computer, encourages creativity and excitement about the subject [2,3] Consequently, a course on mechatronics will have to deal Correspondence to W.-J Shyr (shyrwj@cc.ncue.edu.tw) ß 2010 Wiley Periodicals Inc with complex theoretical subject matters as well as the complexity of managing a class project [4] Shyr et al [5] proposed webbased mechatronics monitoring and control learning platform to students using the actual mechatronics module Teachers are often expected to design instructional activities that integrate theoretical knowledge and promote students’ creative thinking [6] The teacher should help students to integrate knowledge from science and other disciplines into the design processes [7] It is evident that there is an important role for technology education and that technology remains a crucial part of general education; even where technology education has gone beyond the ‘‘technology is applied science’’ paradigm Technology education is an equally valuable subject in science education, and both subjects should be concurrently taught [8,9] Teaching engineering design through project engineering courses is becoming very common [10
13] Project-based learning (PBL) is a model for classroom activity that shifts away from the typical classroom practice of short, isolated teachercentered lessons and instead emphasizes learning activities that are long-term, interdisciplinary and student-centered Projectbased learning centered on the learner provides learners with opportunities for in-depth investigations of worthy topics Learners can autonomously construct personally meaningful artifacts that represent their learning Project-based learning is an important recent development in technology education [14] The strength of project-based learning is that it simultaneously facilitates both problem solving and self-learning The literature 93 94 SHYR reveals compelling evidence that the project-based approach assists students in applying knowledge to solve practical design problems by providing a means to learn by doing [15,16] At Monash University, one of the approaches to mechatronics education is mainly through a project-based course In this pedagogical approach, the synergistic combination of traditional lecture-type of teaching and projects were presented to students This project-based approach is believed useful in the providing for hands-on engineering experience for mechatronics undergraduate students It deals with and reports on the successfully utilization of virtual instrumentation for mechatronics projects and engaging the students to learn intuitively They were able to successfully complete their mechatronics projects within a short span of 13 weeks [17] A project was used successfully in a university-wide freshman engineering course that introduces computer programming and where example problems were taken from all engineering departments [18] Lima et al [19] explore the extent to which students and teachers are able to acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses of a shift in project-based approach to teaching and learning from a traditional, teacher-centered perspective towards project- and learner-centered education It reports on a case study aimed at exploring students’ and teachers’ perceptions of a project-led education course carried out at an engineering course at a Portuguese ă stlund [20] described project-based university Lillieskoăld and O approach has been successful in implementing and maintaining a challenging first year engineering course with a high level of training of generic engineering skills Group projects are an integral part of the undergraduate mechatronics course Students are able to develop both practical and theoretical understanding of mechatronics while working on group projects They also develop the interpersonal and communication skills necessary to work in a multidisciplinary field [21] There is a growing need for preparing students both in theory and practice so that they are well prepared to meet the challenges of the job market A strong multi-disciplinary background is required of new engineering graduates [22] A set of heuristic guidelines has been developed to help students realize group project goals [23,24] These guidelines help students work effectively within a team environment and present projects utilizing different media outlets, such as writing technical reports for group projects and making oral presentations It includes lecture topics covered in class, project requirements, evaluation methods, material resources, and support from the electronic and machine shops As the field and application of mechatronics grow, technology education must grow with it to meet the changing needs of students and industry Laboratory experiments play an important role in supporting student learning, because the best way to learn the capabilities of any technology is to apply it yourself For this reason, the undergraduate program allocates funds and a special room to accommodate laboratory experiments for mechatronics GUIDELINES FOR GROUP PROJECTS Since the particular technical aspects of laboratories will be a function of the emphasis given by the individual teacher, the guidelines presented here will focus on those general concepts that should apply across technical content Group projects allow students to practice the topics covered in the course and fulfill project requirements The project requirements for group projects are the second part of the group projects homework They must work in groups of three or four students The project requirements also include a written proposal, work schedule, written report and presentations The first requirement they must fulfill is a written proposal The groups conceive their project topics according to their own interests The groups then write a proposal for their project The project requires construction of a mechanical device; design and construction of the necessary electronics, sensors and writing software The teacher reads each proposal and meets with the groups During these meetings, the teacher has the option of increasing or decreasing the scope of the group projects This is done to make sure that all of the group projects have the same level of complexity After projects are selected the groups are required to submit project schedule lines During the mechatronics course the teacher regularly checks if the projects are on schedule Deviations from the schedule are discussed and schedule changes are noted The work schedules have been an excellent tool to minimize procrastination Along with the completed group projects the students must submit a written report The report is written primarily for a mechatronics audience and helps the teacher gauge the level of mechatronics understanding each group has The report is kept as a valuable resource for future students Finally, the students can make two presentations The first presentation is required for grading purposes This presentation focuses more on the technical aspects of their projects The optional second presentation is given to a general audience comprised of other group members and students This is a showcase presentation, where students proudly showcase their achievements These two presentations show the students that a presentation must be tailored to a particular audience This is also an opportunity to feel proud about what they have accomplished and share what they have learned PROJECT-BASED LEARNING In the engineering field, the term ‘‘project’’ refers to a unit of work, usually defined on the basis of the client Almost every task undertaken in professional practice by an engineer is related to a project Projects have varying time scales A project such as the construction of a large dam or power station may take several years some engineers may be involved in numerous small projects for various clients at any given time Despite their varying complexity, all projects are related in some way to the fundamental theories and techniques of a specific engineering discipline Small projects may involve only one engineering specialty, but larger projects are usually multidisciplinary, involving engineers from different specializations as well as other professional and non-professional personnel and teams Problem-based learning is widely regarded as a successful and innovative method for engineering education In comparison to traditional engineering curricula, the PBL approach appears to inspire a higher degree of involvement in study activities and, consequently, a higher level of complex comprehension [25] PBL education builds on the students’ background, expectations, and interests It is common for students to be motivated to work TEACHING MECHATRONICS much harder with the PBL model than with traditional teaching methods [26] Project-based learning incorporates philosophies and practices of active-learning, problem-based learning, project management and service learning The goal of problem-based learning is active learning via the following: (1) using open-ended problems, (2) requiring students to solve open-ended problems using small collaborative groups and (3) facilitating and coaching students by asking ‘‘meta-cognitive’’ questions In short, problem-based learning encourages self-directed learning [27] Project-based learning may also be applied in individual courses or throughout a curriculum [28] According to Heitmann, project-oriented study involves the use of small projects within individual courses This format culminates in a final year project course The projects usually employ traditional teaching methods within the same course They focus on the application, and possibly the integration, of previously acquired knowledge Projects may be performed individually or in small groups Project-organized curricula use projects as the structuring principle of the entire curriculum with subject-oriented courses eliminated entirely or delivered only in relation to a specific project Students work in small groups with a project team of teachers who are advisers and consultants Projects are undertaken throughout the course and vary in duration from a few weeks to a whole year Project-based learning involves engaging students in investigation Within this framework, students pursue solutions to nontrivial problems by posing and refining questions, debating ideas, making predictions, designing plans or experiments, collecting and analyzing data, drawing conclusions, communicating their ideas and findings to others, asking new questions and creating artifacts [29] DESCRIPTION OF SAMPLE PROJECTS Figure The flowchart of wind-power generator Remote Control Vehicle for Topography With the progress of science and technology, the popularization of Internet network and widely using broadband transmission, various kinds of network technologies grow vigorously Remote control of software and technology are also applied in our life gradually Almost all products are related to the network features This project researches and develops the main function and builds in wireless communication network This project integrates wireless communication with one video-information car The product can use wireless network to transmit the signals back to computers The product combines with Internet network service and wireless network module to design remote wireless control system, it only use IE control interface to control remote A range of projects was carefully selected for project-based learning approach adopted The following examples provide some of the typical group projects They are Wind-power generator, Remote control vehicle for topography, Automatic following cart, Automatic multi-function wardrobe and Fullautomatic canopy controlling module Wind-Power Generator Resources of the earth are fewer and fewer The electricity is the indispensable energy So the wind power is used in the future It is unlimited and environmental; therefore, this project decides the dissertation for wind-power generator The idea of this dissertation is to design the wind power’s structure; moreover, using the single-chip, control the direction of the blade rotation The electric power flow into a rechargeable battery, and supply a 40 W light bulb However, the wind power is too expensive and the structure is too large, therefore, to make a small wind-power generator for a family or a plant can help saving on resources The flowchart of this project is shown in Figure and the product is shown in Figure Nowadays, wind- power generation is too expensive This gives us motivation to design a wind-power generator for general family use This project uses single-chip to combine all the function 95 Figure Wind-power generator 96 SHYR Figure The flowchart of automatic following cart This project stabilizes the handcart by strengthening the cart body User security is provided by a sensor that prevents collisions Figure The flowchart of remote control vehicle for topography Full-Automatic Canopy Controlling Module hardware equipment The flowchart of this project is shown in Figure and the product is shown in Figure Wireless communication and computer are integrated to remotely control directions of the vehicle for topography Wireless communication uses for message transmission from the vehicle back to computer It is convenient to operate due to the utilization of IE control interface Automatic Following Cart The aim of this project is developing a cart that can move automatically Transportation is one important part in our life Transportation by handcart is not only time-saving but also avoids wasting manpower However, if using a handcart is convenient, the cart still needs someone to set it action People cannot carry things to heavy to bear To increase transportation efficiency, infrared ray and direct current motor devices are proposed to control and move the cart The flowchart of this project is shown in Figure and the product is shown in Figure Figure Remote control vehicle for topography The full-automatic canopy controlling module is direct against to the manual canopy and half-automatic canopy to improve to be full-automatic one The project is created by a circuit with the light and rainwater sensors This project uses the signal that sensor-circuit output to making gain After making gain of signal, it makes these signals to compare with each other Input the signal that has compared to the single-chip And then the single-chip module controls movements of the automatic canopy The automatic canopy will determine according to the intensity of illumination at that time that the canopy lengthen or shorten But if it rains, the circuit of rainwater-sensor output a signal to the single-chip, then all movements will be cancelled, the canopy is stretched out to get longest The flowchart of this project is shown in Figure and the product is shown in Figure This product can detect and examine the intensity of illumination and rain; moreover, it has the automatic functions of open and close It does not need to buy the new canopy, so long as to add and install this control module and special-purpose motor additionally, it can become the full-automatic canopy Figure Automatic following cart TEACHING MECHATRONICS Figure 97 The flowchart of full-automatic canopy controlling module Automatic Multi-Function Wardrobe The purpose of this project is to develop a fully automatic and extremely versatile wardrobe It is necessary to have a dryer or place desiccant into a wardrobe to maintain the clothes and avoid mildew However, the dryer occupies space and the desiccant requires regular replacement This wardrobe effectively applies cybernation to integrate dryer and dehumidifier functions It also uses electronic sensors to control the fan and heater using single-chip IC Furthermore, this unit can monitor the wardrobe status using temperature and humidity detectors To user security the wardrobe is installed with a step-less door switch The pilot display interface for the wardrobe is easy to use This product can dry clothes within a shorter time and also maintain clothes in the best condition The product of this project is shown in Figure and the flowchart is shown in Figure 10 The user can observe the temperature, humidity, and time information from the monitor The proposed wardrobe can manage clothes made of different materials and dry them as fast as others in the market Figure Automatic multi-function wardrobe ASSESSMENT IN PROJECT-BASED LEARNING The assessment methods in this course include allocating a shared group mark based on the process of task and product development and by adjusting individual grades based on individual effort and activities Assessment also involves peer and self-assessment as well as teacher assessment The following forms of assessment are met in the course Table compares assessment methods between traditional and project-based instruction Group Assessment Project Report and System Testing Writing a project report is particularly important to the process The project report requires students to record the procedures, observations, and results from practical activities At the end of the semester, a final report and a prototype program (the product) should be submitted to the supervisor for assessment It should include source documents and system documents such as data model, data dictionary, and data flow diagrams The program code should also be included When the students give their final group presentations, they must demonstrate the system and its functions in detail Figure Full-automatic canopy controlling module Weekly and Final Group Presentation An extensively adopted means of assessing group work is the monthly oral group presentations, which are given during class Teams must report on 98 SHYR Figure 10 The flowchart of automatic multi-function wardrobe the status of their projects The students decide whether the presentations are given by a group representative or by all group members The advantage is that students can develop their presentation skills as well as skills and knowledge in specific subjects The assessment can be based on the quality of the presentation, the quality of content, overall effectiveness, and practical activities Individual Assessment Portfolio Assessment A portfolio accumulates student work that exhibits the efforts, progress, and achievements of students in one or more areas of the curriculum [30] The portfolios in the proposed method have two purposes The first is to demonstrate the knowledge, understanding, skills, values, and attitudes of the students in relation to the area of study Secondly, constructing the portfolio is itself an important process for developing lifelong learning skills Throughout the project, each student is required to keep an individual logbook The logbooks are also part of their portfolios Students can note their activities any time and record observa- tions related to their personal contributions to the project, the particular problems encountered and how they dealt with them Verbal Progress Report Each team member must present a weekly progress report during class meetings The presentation themes emphasize a review of the current project plan and highlight any variance from the expected progress of the teams The specific themes, for example, analyzing and collecting data, are sometimes assigned to students in advance The report is intended to assess student performance and provide feedback It also enables students to improve their individual presentation skills, which is a common weakness in many students Individual assessment may be based partly on these presentations The teacher grades the presentations and gives comments and suggestions for improvement Self-Assessment and Peer Assessment One goal of education is to enable students to assess their own work and that of others Peer and self-assessment can help students develop their ability to make judgments and give evaluations, which are necessary skills for lifelong learning and professional life TEACHING MECHATRONICS Table Traditional Instruction and Project-Based Instruction Comparison Criteria Content Scope and sequence Teacher’s role Assessment Classroom materials Use of technology Type of student involvement Student role Goals 99 Traditional instruction Knowledge of facts Follows fixed curriculum Move from unit to unit Narrow, content area focus Lecturer and director of instruction Expert Products Test scores Reproduction of information Texts, lectures and presentations Teacher/book company—developed worksheets and activities Ancillary, peripheral Administered by teachers Students working alone Students competing with one another Students receiving information Carry out instructions Memorize and repeat facts Listen, behave, speak only when spoken to Knowledge of facts, terms, and content Mastery of isolated skills Breadth of knowledge Graduates who have knowledge to perform on standardized achievement tests Of course, students naturally have difficulty when asked to report their own feelings, thinking processes, weaknesses, and strengths Reporting on the performance of their peers is even more difficult In this course, students are encouraged to comment but not give grades Individual reports require students to assess their own roles in the group Students are required to write self-assessment reports to summarize and evaluate learning activities at the end of semester This report encourages students to review their own performance and personal contribution to the group and to reflect on their learning attitudes Each team member is required to generate a narrative peer evaluation The narrative may be based on their assessment of the overall interaction with group members, participation in group decisions and contribution to the work load Students are not required to give marks to the peers because some problems can arise if students are excessively concerned about their marks For example, some students give everyone favorable marks because they hope to receive favorable marks from those students Therefore, the main concern is what students can learn from peer assessment As a result of this process, students gain a better appreciation of the skills being developed and learn how to work effectively in groups Oral Examination In the individual oral examination at the end of the course, the teacher focuses on the knowledge and skills needed to master the course In order to give a fair individual mark, some specific questions may be asked to determine whether students learned from and contributed to the group presentations and final project The teacher should be able to identify good students and other non-contributors in each group Project-based instruction Comprehension of concepts and principles Follows student interests Large units composed of complex problems or issues Broad, interdisciplinary focus Resource provider Advisory/mentor Process and product Tangible accomplishments Demonstration of understanding Direct or original sources, printed materials, interviews, and documents Data and materials developed by students Central, integral Directed by students Students working in groups Students collaborating Students constructing, contributing, and synthesizing information Carry out self-directed experiences Discover, integrate, and present ideas Communicate, show affect, produce, take responsibility Understanding and application of complex ideas and processes Mastery of integrated skills Depth of knowledge Graduates who have the disposition and skills to engage in sustained, autonomous, lifelong learning EVALUATIONS Evaluation is a major contributor to raise standards at universities in terms of teaching, learning and students’ achievements Evaluation quality has a significant impact on challenging students to work hard and encouraging teachers to focus on how to improve the learning attitude of individual students Evaluation takes place all the time because making judgments is something that everyone does personally and to others [31] How the group projects are graded is an important part of the course guidelines A panel composed of the teacher and other students grade the group projects The panel discusses each project and votes on the project grade The students also evaluate each group member The students submit a signed peer evaluation form containing the percentage effort each group member made to the project The final individual group project grade is a combination of the project grade and effort percentages from the peer evaluation This evaluation method ensures that each student gets a fair grade The mechatronics course evaluation is also based on both individual and group achievements The individual component is based on periodic reports and individual homework The absence of traditional exams is in keeping with the nature of the course and the material coverage level The various group activities are the basis for the group grading component and assume special importance in light of the significant amount of time allocated Evaluation is based on individual and group achievements The evaluation strategy for the mechatronics pilot course was designed to measure student performance in each of the outcomes and student perceptions of their learning from participating in course activities 100 SHYR All of the students successfully completed and demonstrated projects None of the students failed the course The final grades obtained by the students were quite good Several approaches to evaluating the system are possible One method of evaluating a teaching and learning approach is to measure teacher and student satisfaction An evaluation form was designed to measure the usability and effectiveness of the system on a five-point Likert scale from for ‘‘strongly disagree’’ to for ‘‘strongly agree.’’ The items employed to measure the usability of the approach reflected its usefulness Therefore, user satisfaction could be assessed as an indicator of the success of the approach Expert Evaluation Domain expert evaluations were used to help determine the accuracy of the embedded knowledge and the effectiveness of the teaching approach The group project-based approach was validated by a group of 10 participants All were university professors and/or researchers with an average more than years of experience in instruction, therefore each expert had a strong background in engineering education Overall, the expert evaluations were generally positive Student Evaluation The mechatronics course was inaugurated in the Department of Industrial Education and Technology at National Changhua University of Education, where 20 students enrolled this course A questionnaire, which had been validated, and containing 10 items inquiring about students’ experiences was administered to all participants used and the results are presented in Table The level of significance a is selected to be 0.05 The corresponding two-tail critical value is 1.96 Except for items and 6, the mean ratings of the experts regarding the effectiveness and usability of the system did not significantly differ from those of the students system DATA COLLECTION AND DISCUSSION Method The experimental method provides students in the mechatronics course with basic knowledge via a project-based approach Additionally, the experimental method is actively used; it improves skills and observation ability, and it reinforces knowledge The experimental method develops science and analysis skills and acting skills of students The experiment and control groups in this study were given two different examinations, pretest and posttest examinations Achievement Tests The academic success tests, pretest, and posttest were carefully and repeatedly reviewed by 10 education experts After being modified precisely, these tests were finally finished The pretest and posttest examinations included questions about project-based topics The pretest was comprised of 10 questions designed to assess the performance of the students in the project-based activity The pretest was given to both groups at the start of the course The posttest was given to both groups after the mechatronics course Evaluation Results Table summarizes the expert and student responses to the questionnaire Both groups rated the innovative group projectbased approach highly based on the results of the evaluation A further analysis was conducted to investigate whether or not experts and potential users differed in their mean ratings of the effectiveness and usability of the system Since the sample size is small, the Non-parametric Mann
Whitney U-tests were Table Sampling This study utilizes a quasi-experimental, nonequivalent control group design that is a suitable alternative to an experimental design when randomization is not possible The nonequivalent control group design can be utilized as a nonequivalent comparison group design involving two treatments Since the subjects in this design were not randomly assigned, entire classes of Evaluation Questionnaire Results Students (n ¼ 20) Evaluation items The projects done were useful for learning mechatronics The background information was useful in understanding the content area The guidelines for group projects were understandable The guidelines for group projects were useful I could follow the guides given in project without requiring much assistance The course was challenging The material resources were well supplied The evaluations, overall, provided useful feedback on my progress I am happy with my performance in the mechatronics course 10 The mechatronics course, overall, was useful and motivating *P < 0.05 Experts (n ¼ 10) M SD M SD Difference between experts and students Mann
Whitney U-test (significance level) 4.15 4.35 0.489 0.489 4.00 4.20 0.000 0.632
1.019 (0.308)
0.601 (0.548) 3.90 4.10 3.80 0.308 0.447 0.523 3.80 3.20 4.10 0.422 0.422 0.316
0.747 (0.455)
3.944 (0.000)*
1.639 (0.101) 4.10 4.40 4.30 0.308 0.503 0.470 3.80 4.10 4.20 0.422 0.316 0.422
2.086 (0.037)*
1.662 (0.097)
0.574 (0.566) 4.15 4.25 0.366 0.444 4.30 4.00 0.483 0.664
0.952 (0.341)
1.096 (0.273) TEACHING MECHATRONICS Table The t-Test Results of the Experiment and Control Groups According to Their Pretest Scores Group N M SD df t Control Experimental 20 20 5.80 5.80 0.62 0.83 38 0.00 *P < 0.05 students were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or the control group Both groups took a pretest and a posttest This study sampled 40 students (2 female and 38 male; average 22 years old) from the intact class at the Department of Industrial Education and Technology at National Changhua University of Education, Taiwan Each group contained 20 students The duration of the mechatronics course was the same for both groups (project-based and traditional instructional) The time that students spent on individual study were also assumed to be identical Data Analysis The survey test was used as a pretest and a posttest of both the control group and the experimental group The test was given in the classroom before the course started and after the end of the course The SPSS data analysis software was used to analyze the research data The significance level was set to 0.05 for the entire statistical analysis Likert-type item responses ranged from to 10 with increasing numbers indicating higher levels of interest or importance A pretest was administered to equalize the experiment and control groups Table indicates these test results The numbers in the table represent the mean (M) and the standard deviation (SD) of the student responses The tests revealed no significant differences between the experimental and control groups (t ¼ 0.00, P > 0.05), which indicates that the experimental and control groups were identical Results To identify significantly different average posttest scores between the experiment and control groups, this study performed an independent t-test at 0.05 of significance level Table presents these test results Closely examining Table reveals that the average posttest scores significantly differed between the experimental and control groups The higher average scores in the experimental group revealed the effectiveness of the proposed course design for enhancing the academic performance of the students The test results showed statistically significant differences between the groups (t ¼ 4.376, P < 0.05) Thus, significant differences in the posttest scores of the experimental and control group students were confirmed: the experimental group outperformed the control group Table The t-Test Results of the Experiment and Control Groups According to Their Posttest Scores Group N M SD df t 38 4.376* Control 20 7.95 0.60 Experimental 20 8.75 0.55 101 The general findings of this study are the following (1) Both groups had very similar pretest results (2) The posttest results demonstrate that the mechatronics course was valuable to both groups (3) The students in the experimental group were more successful than those in the control group Further analysis of the test results demonstrates that the project-based approach significantly enhanced the effectiveness of the mechatronics course CONCLUSIONS Mechatronics is a design domain that is best taught with a laboratory component The guidelines presented here have proven very successful at generating excitement and enthusiasm among students in the mechatronics courses at National Changhua University of Education They should serve as an effective starting point for the development of individualized guidelines applicable to any laboratory oriented mechatronics course These examples of group projects show that the project guidelines were effective The students enjoy working within this framework, as evidenced by the craftsmanship and time devoted to their projects At the end of the semester students often realize how much they have learned while working on group projects and discussing projects with the teacher and their peers All of the example projects were completed within one semester Although the current homework is both effective and efficient, it is constantly being redefined to maximize the potential of group projects The innovative group project-based approach adopted in the mechatronics course was found very effective Overall student satisfaction with the learning activities has been high REFERENCES [1] S Reisman and W A Carr, Perspectives on multimedia systems in education, IBM Syst J 30 (1991), 280
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174 BIOGRAPHY Wen-Jye Shyr is an associate professor in the Department of Industrial Education and Technology at National Changhua University of Education, Taiwan His current research is in the mechatronics, graphical human interface, sensors, artificial intelligent, and engineering education [22] R Radharamanan and E Jenkins, Laboratory learning modules on CAD/CAM and robotics in engineering education, Int J Innovat Comput Inform Control (2008), 433
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562  ... knowledge and the effectiveness of the teaching approach The group project- based approach was validated by a group of 10 participants All were university professors and/or researchers with an average... personally and to others [31] How the group projects are graded is an important part of the course guidelines A panel composed of the teacher and other students grade the group projects The panel discusses... content Group projects allow students to practice the topics covered in the course and fulfill project requirements The project requirements for group projects are the second part of the group projects