Enhancing Engineering Problem Solving Skills In A Mechatronics Course

A mechatronics course provides an excellent opportunity for teaching students problem solving skills in a multifaceted engineering context. This nontraditional mechanical engineering course involves the integration of mechanics concepts with electronics and software schemes. The course provides an excellent environment for teaching engineering design skills and exposes students to multidisciplinary problem solving exercises. Students in the course described get a healthy dose of the variety and scope of considerations practicing engineers face when designing contemporary products that involve electromechanical devices. In this paper the authors describe various approaches used in teaching this multidisciplinary course. Build-and-test exercises are used to help students gain a better understanding of technical concepts covered in the course, thus promoting a sense of accomplishment with real world experiences. Students’ ability to retain knowledge of concepts taught is improved when the opportunity exists to demonstrate what has been learned. The projects and exercises, as well as the way in which they are executed, are designed to enhance students’ decision-making skills and promote good engineering judgment. One course project discussed in this paper involves participation in an industry sponsored robotics contest. Feedback from students consistently indicates that this mechatronics course engages them and helps sharpen their critical thinking skills.