Abstract:

Spatial visualization facilitates learning of the mechanical element behaviour in engineering, as it helps to visualize the movement, deformation and stability of an element under the influence of external forces. The experience of the faculty during the classes on Mechanical Engineering subjects and the surveys administered to the students, have confirmed the difficulties of these associated to a weak spatial visualization and the negative influence during the learning process of the subjects. This ability, the spatial visualization, can be improved by representing the mechanical element and the external forces by means of scaled models. The current work pretends to describe an innovative educational experience oriented to Mechanical Engineering Degree’s students, with the aim of improving and/or acquiring this competence, while the autonomous learning level of the student is increased. It is proposed the construction of several mechanical elements into the classroom, usually structural systems, under different external forces. The easier assemble and disassemble processes have brought to the selection of a system composed of magnetised pieces, which becomes these pieces an useful tool for the teaching and autonomous learning of the student. This initiative has started in 2018 in the field of the theory of structures and the industrial constructions. It has been enthusiastically welcomed by the faculty, as this new educational resource opens new doors within the field of educational innovation. The students, for their part, have shown a strong interest and they have seen an improvement in their spatial visualization. The educational teams will evaluate its introduction in other subjects of the Mechanical Engineering Degree, depending on the results obtained at the end of the term.

Keywords:

Spatial visualization, scaled models, Mechanical Engineering.