Connections Seminar Series
This seminar will only be live-streamed. You can access the Livestream via the Connections Moodle site (self-enrolment key: unswconnections). Please do not forget to register if you wish to attend this seminar.
Scientia Education Experience: Inspired learning through inspired teaching
Project-Based Learning (PBL) is a favoured teaching strategy within engineering education given it is an active student-centred form of learning where autonomy, investigative lines and communication within real-world practices are prioritised. An approach to deliver a second-year design and manufacturing course remotely to a cohort of 170+ and 300+ UNSW Mechanical Engineering students in Terms 2 and 3 whilst in the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown, without compromising on teaching and learning outcomes of a hands-on PBL assessment is presented.
Prior to the pandemic, students within the course would attend TAFE, a vocational education and training provider. This formed a signature learning experience for the students and was well received year on year. The COVID-19 pandemic prevented students from attending TAFE. Designing a suitable assessment to replace this experience was therefore of the utmost importance. Using backwards course design principles, a project-based computer-numerical-control (CNC) machining assessment was designed.
The students were also able to experience design, manufacture and physical testing of parts, all without the need to be physically on campus. This was well received as evidenced by a rise in student satisfaction score from 60% in 2019 to 97.4% in 2020.
This presentation aligns with the following UNSW Communities of Practice 'Work Integrated Learning'. More information can be found here.
About Daniel Eggler
Daniel Eggler is an early career education focused academic within the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering. His research areas are noise, vibration and active control. He primarily teaches engineering design courses, ranging from first to third year, and embraces work-integrated learning as a powerful intrinsic learning motivator for students. Where possible, hands-on project-based assessments are implemented in any course he teaches as nothing reinforces relevance and accountability like a compliance test.
UNSW Staff who cannot attend this seminar are able to Livestream it via the Connections Moodle site (self-enrolment key: unswconnections)