Actively engaging project based learning through a mini-maker faire in an engineering technology program

Abstract

Many engineering technology students struggle with theoretical concepts. Cookie-cutter laboratory activities and courses projects that are more like academic exercises can only provide limited help for student to make the connection between theories they learn in classroom and real-world problems. Maker Culture is an attractive way of enhancing student learning. The Maker Movement can achieve learning-by-doing in an informal environment, which works well for engineering technology students. Maker Culture also allows for the implementation of several student centered learning options such as active learning, cooperative learning, peer-led team learning, peer instruction, problem-based learning, project-based learning, inquiry-based learning, and challenge-based learning. In the Control Systems course in the Electronic Systems Engineering Technology (ESET) program at Texas A& M University, students were introduced to the Maker Culture in class. Laboratories were re-structured to support students' effort to work on course projects that they chose on their own. This had a positive impact on the motivation of the students. A Mini-Maker Faire was organized at the end of the semester where student did demo and presentation. The project evaluation was also changed to reflect the Maker Culture spirit: whether your design works or not is not as important as what you learned in the process. Although the subject has been discussed by many educators, the authors learned from their first trial that a successful implementation requires careful planning and flawless execution in a specific course. This paper presents the design of lectures, laboratories and the course projects. Assessment methods and lessons learned are also discussed.