Mechatronics Engineering Integrate Project: An Approach in Project-Based Learning with the Subjects of Instrumentation, Control Systems, and Microcontrollers

Abstract

When discussing integrating projects in classes, we often apply Project-Based Learning (PjBL) techniques. To promote skills, the PjBL methodology subjects students to tasks and challenges to develop a project that connects with their lives outside the classroom or the work environment. During this process, students deal with interdisciplinary issues and take decisions acting alone and in teams. This work aims to present the details of the integrated and multidisciplinary project, applied from 2019 to 2022 in the Control and Automation Engineering course at the Mauá Institute of Technology. During this period, around 40 students per year were analyzed, always from the 4th year of the course, divided into approximately 10 teams per year. The projects were carried out within the subjects of Instrumentation, Microcontrollers, Programming, and Control Systems. The presented results allow for verifying the evolution of the methods as well as the skills developed. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2023.