Assessment of an Improved Problem-Based Learning Implementation in a Senior/Graduate Mechatronic Design Course

Building on previous work to implement problem-based learning, a mechatronic design course was recast as a semester-long activity culminating in the collaborative design and fabrication of an autonomous vehicle. Students were provided a realistic design scenario early in the course, with subsequent lecture and laboratory activities tying directly to the proposed problem. Following the submission of student design work, and demonstration of their mechatronic devices, student learning outcomes were assessed both indirectly and directly. Indirect assessment implied both the course content and collaborative design project contributed to student learning. Direct assessment of student designs showed improvement from previous semesters.