LEGOマインドストームを利用するものづくり教育の試み(機械工学科,工学部創設40周年記念号)

Abstract

As a manufacturing technical education practice, the authors have tried to introduce the problem-based learning into the graduation study course for the last two years. This paper presents the progress and results. In the graduation study course, the students were encouraged to find out a useful theme that can resolve a practical problem and perform the research independently. The teachers provided some advices to help the students if necessary, through periodic discussions in an equal position. The students applied LEGO mind storms as a tool producing a mechatronics device to verify the idea, and furthermore improving the properties of the device through repeated prototypes until the development purpose was achieved. The authors aim at promoting the creative abilities of the students through such the course. From the opinions of the students who passed the course, it can be concluded that the students not only actively struggled but also found satisfactions in the courses. The result also illustrates that LEGO mind storms is an effective tool for the problem-based learning type of manufacturing technical education.