Students' views on linking curricular content of three first-year courses of a mechanical engineering program

Abstract

The objective of this study is to explore students' perceptions of a project-based learning intervention of three first-year courses in a Chilean mechanical engineering program. The project consisted of designing and building a truss by using 3D printing. Students' views regarding this learning experience are assessed to identify learning opportunities and challenges that may emerge while working on the project. Individual and group interviews and questionnaires were conducted twice per semester in two courses to gather the views of 11 students. Collected data was processed by content analysis. The results showed higher motivation and content significance and increased experience value. These results are in agreement with findings reported in the literature. Teamwork was the biggest challenge identified by the participants. It is concluded that the learning experience can be improved by including frequent co-evaluations throughout the experience and the training of instructors on collaborative work.