Practical-Oriented CNC Educational Tool to Promote Retention of Knowledge for First Year Engineering Students

Abstract

Computer Numerical Control (CNC) technology has been widely applied in almost small and large scale manufacturing industries and being extensively educated in universities. However, most of the commercial CNC machines for educational use are only main for laboratory activities and not suitable for teaching use due to its large structures and complicate functionalities. Often, the machines were not designed to serve as an educational tool. Owing to the restrictions, an appropriate CNC education tool was developed as a potential tool that could promote active learning opportunity across multi-discipline of interest particulary for the first year undergraduate students. Besides, its promote retention of knowledge. The article will emphasize on the construction of a CNC tool appropriate to be integrated in teaching computer-aided design that could stimulate student learning. A survey was conducted on student perceptions about the tool for educational use and take observational study of the novice students attitudes in response to a new situation of learning.