PROJECT BASED LEARNING
Preamble
Currently, engineering education is undergoing significant structural changes worldwide. The rapidly evolving technological landscape forces educators to constantly reassess the content of engineering curricula in the context of emerging fields and with a multidisciplinary focus. In this process, it is necessary to devise, implement and evaluate innovative pedagogical approaches for the incorporation of these novel subjects into the educational programs without compromising the cultivation of the traditional skills. In this context, the educational community is showing rapidly rising interest in project-based learning approaches. The mainstream engineering education follows traditional classroom teaching, in which the major focus is mainly on the lecture and the student has very little (if any) choice on the learning process. However rapid development in engineering and technology requires adopting a teaching approach that would assist students not only in developing a core set of industry relevant skills, but also enable them to adapt to changes in their professional career.
Course Objectives 1. To emphasize project based learning activities that are long-term, interdisciplinary and studentcentric. 2. To inculcate independent and group learning by solving real world problems with the help of available resources. 3. To be able to develop applications based on the fundamentals of mechanical engineering by possibly applying previously acquired knowledge. 4. To get practical experience in all steps in the life cycle of the development of mechanical systems: specification, design, implementation, and testing. 5. To be able to select and utilize appropriate concepts of mechanical engineering to design and analyze selected mechanical system.
Course Outcomes On completion of the course, learner will be able to CO1. IDENTIFY the real-world problem (possibly of interdisciplinary nature) through a rigorous literature survey and formulate / set relevant aims and objectives. CO2. ANALYZE the results and arrive at valid conclusions. CO3. PROPOSE a suitable solution based on the fundamentals of mechanical engineering by possibly integration of previously acquired knowledge. CO4. CONTRIBUTE to society through proposed solutions by strictly following professional ethics and safety measures. CO5. USE of technology in proposed work and demonstrate learning in oral and written form. CO6. DEVELOP ability to work as an individual and as a team member.
Group Structure Working in supervisor/mentor –monitored groups.
The students plan, manage and complete a task/project/activity which addresses the stated problem.
1. Create groups of 5 (five) to 6 (six) students in each class.
2. A supervisor/mentor teacher is assigned to 3-4 groups or one batch.
Project Selection The project can be selected by undertaking a survey of journal papers, patents or field visit (A problem can be theoretical, practical, social, technical, symbolic, cultural and/or scientific). The problem shall consist of following facets: feasibility of arriving at a solution, analyzing the problem, design and development of the system (hardware or virtual). There are no commonly shared criteria/ guidelines for what constitutes an acceptable project. Projects vary greatly in the depth of the questions explored, the clarity of the learning goals, the content and structure of the activity undertaken. Solution to problem-based projects through “learning by doing” is recommended. The model begins with the identifying of a problem, often growing out of a question or “wondering”. This formulated problem then stands as the starting point for learning. A problem can be theoretical, practical, social, technical, symbolic, cultural and/or scientific and grows out of students‟ wandering within different disciplines and professional environments. As stated in the preamble as the world has adapted and propagated multidisciplinary approach, hence the proposed project activity preferably should not be restricted to only mechanical domain specific projects rather should be Interdisciplinary in nature. However the chosen problem should be integration of other streams of engineering with Mechanical engineering. Although in a genuine case 100% software/ virtual project topic may be allowed.
Ethical Practices, teamwork and project management: Use Indian standards or any relevant standards for project manufacturing, respect the time of others, attend the reviews, poster presentation and model exhibitions, strictly follow the deadline of project completion, comply with all legislation requirements that govern workplace health and safety practices.
Effective Documentation In order to make our engineering graduates capable of preparing effective documentation, it is required for the students to learn the effective writing skills. The PBL final report is expected to consist of the Literature Survey, Problem Statement, Aim and Objectives, System Block Diagram, System Implementation Details, Discussion and Analysis of Results, Conclusion, System Limitations and Future Scope. Many freely available software tools (for instance Mendley (Elsevier), Grammarly) are expected to be used during the preparation of PBL synopsis and final report. It is expected that the PBL guides/mentors shall teach students about utilizing valid sources of information (such as reference papers, books, magazines, etc) related to their PBL topic.
Evaluation & Continuous Assessment
The institution/head shall be committed to ensuring the effective and rigorous implementation of the idea of project based learning. Progress of PBL shall be monitored regularly on a weekly basis. Weekly review of the work shall be necessary. During the process of monitoring and continuous assessment and evaluation the individual and team performance is to be measured. PBL is monitored and continuous assessment is done by supervisor /mentor and authorities. Students must maintain an institutional culture of authentic collaboration, self-motivation, peer-learning and personal responsibility. The institution/department should support students in this regard through guidance/orientation programs and the provision of appropriate resources and services. Supervisor/mentor and Students must actively participate in assessment and evaluation processes. The effectiveness of the concept PBL lies in rigorous and continuous assessment and evaluation of the student performance. It is recommended that all activities are required to be recorded regularly. A regular assessment of PBL work is required to be maintained at the department in PBL log book by students.
It is expected that the PBL log book must include following: 1. Information of students and guide 2. Weekly monitoring by the PBL guide, 3. Assessment sheet for PBL work review by PBL guide and PBL Evaluation Committee (PEC). The PEC structure shall consist of Head of the department, 1/2 senior faculties of the department and one industry expert (optional). Continuous Assessment Sheet (CAS) is to be maintained by the department.
Recommended parameters for assessment, evaluation and weightage
1. Idea Inception (kind of survey). (10%)
2. Documentation (Gathering requirements, design & modeling, implementation/execution, use of technology and final report, other documents). (15%)
3. Attended reviews, poster presentation and model exhibition. (10%)
4. Demonstration (Poster Presentation, Model Exhibition etc). (10%).
5. Awareness /Consideration of – Environment/ Social /Ethics/ Safety measures/Legal aspects. (5%)
6. Outcome (physical model/prototype/ virtual model/ product development/ assembly & disassembly and analysis of standard mechanism or system, design and development of small applications using Arduino, design of control systems, development of various systems/ subsystems of BAJA/SUPRA/Robots/GoKart/ Sunrisers/Hackathon/ application development and similar activities/ System performance and analysis) (40%).
7. Participation in various competitions/ publication/ copyright/ patent) (10%).
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