Abstract:

This paper describes the implementation of innovation in education at the University of West Bohemia (UWB) at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (FME). The main aim of these innovations is to introduce Project-Based Learning (PBL), which forces students to acquire deeper information about the issues that they are dealing with. PBL is playing an increasingly larger role in technical education all around the world, because this type of education is very advantageous for technical fields and so it is necessary to implement it effectively in our Faculty too. The aim of these innovations is primarily to enhance our students’ practical knowledge and make teaching of technical subjects more attractive for students and thereby motivate more applicants to study at FME. ‘Today there is a great need to enhance science and math education and to broaden the learning experience to make it more enjoyable.’ (Snyder et al., 2014)  Implementation of PBL is described here using the examples of reverse engineering and rapid prototyping. These two modern methods are used in engineering practice for digitalization of already produced parts and for production of prototypes. Students at FME have the opportunity to become acquainted with these unconventional methods during their study of certain subjects, within which they can deal with projects similar to those occurring in real practice. These specific subjects provide students with practically applicable know-how which is important for every engineer.