Abstract:

Higher education is increasingly moving away from traditional lecture-based learning, directing its focus towards the possibilities offered by information and communication technologies (ICT) as a form of learning. In this way, Granta EduPack is a software for materials and processes selection used as a tool for independent learning in engineering courses [1]. It is also a successful strategy to motivate students when performing tasks related to material and manufacturing selection in product related projects and improve their academic performance [2].

In this case, the participants were third year students of the “Comprehensive Design and Image Management” bachelor and its combinations with bachelors of “Fashion Design and Management”, “Fine Arts” and “Fundamentals of Architecture” of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the Rey Juan Carlos University during the academic year 2023-2024. This methodology has been implemented as a group project in the subject of “Industrial Production Processes”.

The activity consisted, first and foremost, in explaining to the students the main tools of Granta EduPack, among which stand out the selection of materials based on different imposed properties; the selection of different manufacturing processes for the chosen material based on various required specifications, and the evaluation of the life cycle of the manufactured part. In this way, activities related to material selection and manufacturing processes were carried out during the lecture, as well as studies of the life cycle of materials applied to the world of arts, fashion, and architecture. Real and up-to-date examples were used for the cases to work during the lectures. References to popular culture, such as cinema, literature, well known architects, singers, and actors, were included in the showed cases. This has been reported by the students as useful to increase their motivation in regular classes.

After the various lectures with Granta EduPack, students were tasked with completing a case in which they chose a product or application to select its material, its manufacturing process, and conduct its life cycle analysis. All of this resulted in higher grades than those obtained in theoretical classes with conventional tools.

The results of this study are very interesting from the perspective of teaching innovation, as the techniques applied can be used in the teaching of any scientific or engineering subject in Arts degrees or other type of non-Engineering degrees. Additionally, it has been observed that students' performance has improved when using this tool compared to the regular exam. Finally, students have shown their satisfaction with this methodology through surveys conducted after the final exam.

References:
[1] Dr. Shezad Abdul-Rehman (Research Associate) & Dr. Claire Davis (Reader in Ferrous Metallurgy) (2009) Independent learning using the Cambridge Engineering Selector (CES) EduPack software with large class sizes, Engineering Education, 4:1, 2-7, DOI: 10.11120/ened.2009.04010002
[2] C. Rosales-Torres, H. G. Gonzalez-Hemandez, C. R. Gijón-Rivera and D. Gutiérrez-Franco, "Product-based Learning using CES EduPack in Undergraduate Engineering Courses," 2020 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON), Porto, Portugal, 2020, pp. 871-877, doi: 10.1109/EDUCON45650.2020.9125301.

Keywords:

Granta EduPack, Arts Students, Materials Science, Manufacturing, Student Motivation, Active Learning, Experiential Learning, Creativity Thinking.