Web Based Learning Activities In Manufacturing Systems

This paper will focus on the design and development of multimedia sessions which are web-based learning activities designed to teach engineering concepts within a real-world manufacturing context. Traditional engineering education methods often result in competency gaps between the theoretical and the practical. As a result, traditionally educated engineers may have difficulty translating their classroom learning into effective manufacturing practice. These competency gaps can be addressed by introducing experiential learning into the educational methodology. This paper describes how the learning session is created using a set of digital objects that fulfill a single educational objective. A session uses these multimedia objects to teach a specific theory, process, or technique with a factory context. For example, to teach direct time study, video images captured from the factory floor can become multimedia objects to be used in a session. The resulting session requires the learner to analyze the environment and conduct time studies by viewing real factory personnel in work settings. In the approach described in this paper, joint university/industry projects serve as a source of data and experiences that can be used to support computer-based learning activities. Real-time interactions with factory personnel that are accomplished through Web-cam technology and interactive meeting software are often used to capture key objects needed to create a session. As specific examples of our approach, this paper discusses the development of two multimedia learning sessions – one on direct time study and one on the use of simulation. It includes the educational plan development, techniques used for creating multimedia objects, and concludes with a description of the resulting learning sessions. One of the challenges in engineering education is producing engineers capable of integrating theory with practice. The Manufacturing Education Plan: 1999 Critical Competency Gaps documents the competency gaps that exist when such integration capabilities are not present in manufacturing engineers. These competency gaps can be addressed by introducing experiential learning into the educational methodology, offering engineering students opportunities to translate their classroom learning into effective manufacturing practice. One approach to addressing this integration has been the educational model developed by the Greenfield Coalition at Focus:HOPE. The Greenfield Coalition learning system is predicated on the belief that students will learn faster and will become more effective problem solvers if engineering education and practice are integrated, and students actively participate in their learning. To implement these concepts, the Coalition developed a unique approach to the definition of a curriculum. The following figure describes the components (see Figure 1).