Active Learning Based on Manual Skills for Students in Mechatronics Course

Abstract

There is a growing trend at universities to switch from conventional teaching methods, which focus on knowledge transfer, to methods based on the concept of active learning. Many such methods have been devised and tested to show the validity of this concept. In this study, a project was designed and implemented that teaches some simple principles of aeronautics by having students construct and fly a remote-controlled (RC) model airplane. The goals are to motivate students to study mechatronics and to foster teamwork and communication. This paper explains the project. Its effectiveness was demonstrated in three trials with three groups of students.