Enhancing student learning: On-line interactive laboratory for modelling of real world control system applications

Abstract

Teaching an introductory course on control systems to undergraduate students often seeks elaborations on real engineering world control system applications to assist students in grasping theoretical concepts. In this paper, the newly developed animated and interactive control systems tutorials are presented. The paper shows that this teaching approach helps students in bridging the gap between the classical control techniques and the real world applications. The course evaluations undertaken since the time of the inclusion of the animated tutorials into the teaching process clearly show the learning improvement gained, reflected in increased average scores, and reduced course fail grade.

Using interactive tools to create an enthusiasm for control in aerospace and chemical engineers

“…This means that even with very large classes (the author has class sizes of around 400) and building access limited to normal working hours, students can still access a VL whenever it suits them and indeed, from the comfort of the bedroom if they want. It is unsurprising therefore that VL are becoming increasingly common (Cameron, 2009;Goodwin et al, 2011;de la Torre et al, 2013;Fabregas et al, 2011;Perez et al, 2011;Guzman et al, 2006;Rossiter, 2012Rossiter, , 2016.…”

Low production cost virtual modelling and control laboratories for chemical engineering students

“…Some of the examples in the literature such as (Cameron 2009, Goodwin et al 2011 are excellent virtual environments on which to study chemical engineering, but the creation of such artefacts is not achievable for most academics indeed the authors of those environments assumed that departments would pay a substantial annual license fee for students to access their simulators. Even what might be considered an accessible (essentially free) web based system and well used software environment (Easy Java Simulation (EJS)) is non trivial to code accept for elementary scenarios (de la Torre 2013, Fabregas 2011, Perez et al 2011, Guzman 2006). …”

A survey of good practice in control education

“…The community benefits from a consolidation of good practice in control engineering resources in general, with education being an essential component of that. Indeed, a preliminary website devoted to control resources was authorized and created by IFAC in 2008 (Perez, Dormido and Vlacic 2011) and updated recently (IFAC 2016). The IFAC educational committees felt that a publication summarizing good practice and opportunities within control education would be useful to the community.…”

“…Hence, the requirement for students to do pre-lab activities closely related to the laboratory (Abdulwahed 2010; de Jong, Linn and Zacharia 2013) is relatively widespread good practice. Academics at Griffith University have been working on incorporating online teaching tools to increase teaching efficiency as well as student engagement (Perez, Dormido and Vlacic 2011). They introduced a continuing online assessment of student assignments which, according to the feedback received from students, helped students to "gradually grasp the difficult material," "more easily handle analytical expressions," and "shorten the time spent on assignment writing."…”