Abstract:

University learning must be adapted to the reality of how society behaves and thinks. In a world based on quick access to everything and the difficulty of focusing on large problems for a long time, the traditional methodology for problem-solving and engineering design is no longer valid. Previously, problems were presented as brief statements that students had to develop extensively. Now, students tend to provide brief answers and request more detailed statements. Therefore, a more meticulous methodology needs to be implemented, not only to present tasks with easier statements but also to teach students how to split and develop an argument into smaller, easier tasks by themselves in an organized and helpful way. To achieve a simpler problem-solving methodology, a structured design plan was established based on answering the questions of who, what, where, when, why, and how, as well as using other management tools for project handling and organization. The aforementioned procedure was applied to the subject ‘Design and Verification of Machine Tools’ in the Master of Materials program at the Public University of Navarre. The goal was to decide on a suitable design for a tooling machine, for which students had to analyze the structural resistance and the main driving components. Each classroom session had a clear milestone to be fulfilled, and the progress of each student was recorded. The requirements were divided into those related to the part to be manufactured and those related to the machine itself. Aspects such as dimensions, materials, working method, accuracy, speed, safety margins, manufacturability, service life, maintenance, and sustainability were considered. Additionally, the calculations of the structural and driving components were split into smaller steps to ease the verification of the procedure followed and to avoid errors. Each item had a checkbox to be marked when fulfilled, and corresponding comments as lessons learned were added. This learning methodology led to an easier way to handle and accomplish the requirements and considerably reduced the number of additional mentoring sessions needed by the students to achieve satisfactory results. Although in this case, the students were required to apply the methodology to the mechanical engineering design of a machine, the more useful objective was to teach them to develop a methodology to create their own templates that could be applied to any other issues they might face in life.

Keywords:

Machine Design, Problem-Solving Methodology, Higher Education.