by Mosima Rafapa
The Tshwane University of Technology’s (TUT) Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment (FEBE) collaborated with the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) in the United Kingdom in hosting a six-hour workshop on the Role of Project-based learning (PBL) in Engineering Education. The workshop explored the concept of Conceive Design, Implement and Operate (CDIO). The objective was to highlight the project-based approach, which is necessary to develop prerequisite skills for Electric Vehicles Manufacturing. The workshop covered the successful implementation of the CDIO approach to enhance the students’ experience and industry-readiness in the UK.
Dr Grace Kanakana-Katumba, FEBE Executive Dean and her co-researcher, Dr Tabbi Wilberforce Awotwe from King's College London, received a grant from the Royal Academy of Engineering to explore CDIO, “an innovative educational framework for producing the next generation of engineers.”
Several local universities including Durban University of Technology, University of South Africa and Cape Peninsula University of Technology, along with international universities like the University of Warwick and Aston University and industry partner, the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA), participated in this project and shared their experiences.
“The CDIO framework provides academics with an approach to enable students to Conceive — Design — Implement — Operate (CDIO) real-world systems and products. Throughout the world, CDIO Initiative collaborators have adopted CDIO as the framework for their curriculum planning and outcome-based assessment. CDIO collaborators recognise that engineering education is acquired over a long period and that educators in all parts of this spectrum can learn from practice elsewhere,” said Awotwe.
FEBE Executive Dean, Dr Grace
Kanakana-Katumba.
During the workshop, partners shared current PBL activities at their respective institutions and how the Introduction to Collaborative Online Interactive Learning (COIL) can enhance learning.
Dr Kanakana-Katumba said the aim of the project titled "Development of CDIO curriculum on Electric Vehicle Powertrains - Case Study of South Africa" is to incorporate PBL into higher education curriculum, with an emphasis on developing skills required for the future in the field of electric vehicles manufacturing.
“We are currently investigating how PBL can be implemented in the classrooms. By prioritising PBL, students will not only acquire the technical abilities needed for EV manufacturing and powertrain systems but also cultivate the capacity to work together, think critically and tackle real-life problems in their future workplaces or start-ups,” said Kanakana-Katumba.
Dr Tabbi Wilberforce Awotwe from King's College London explained that in adopting PBL they did not want to rely on traditional methods of delivering academic content but rather to explore innovative approaches that will enhance learning and ensure that students can develop skills needed for the future of work.
Dr Sarah Junaid, Programme Director for Mechanical Engineering at Aston University, discussed how student assessments can be conducted effectively using a COID approach. Dr Freeha Azmat, Course Director for Digital Technology Solutions Degree Apprenticeship at the University of Warwick, also shared how their university had conceptualised, developed and implemented an apprenticeship programme they currently offer, to change the traditional approach to teaching and learning.
Dr Tabbi Wilberforce Awotwe from King's College London.