Abstract:

This work aims at implementing the Challenge Based Learning (CBL) with the final goal of enhancing the education quality of the Mechanical Engineering Degree at the Universitat Jaume I (UJI). CBL is an active methodology in which students are involved in a real and relevant problematic issue, which involves the definition of a challenge and the implementation of a solution. Students are confronted with a challenging situation, develop research processes, design and manufacture prototypes, and work collaboratively and multidisciplinary. With the aim of implementing CBL, a team competition contest among students in the field of technology has been organized as a pilot test in order to propose future competitions with an increasing level of difficulty of the tasks to perform depending on the results obtained by the students. The challenge proposed was the design of a novel 3D-printed hand prosthesis able to help amputated people to grasp objects during activities of daily living. The proposed competition is intended to motivate students of the Mechanical Engineering Degree to participate in the UJI-Hand team, a team of students involved in the UJI-LAB-Innovation call, which promotes the creation of multidisciplinary teams led by students who develop innovative initiatives organized around projects. The objective of the UJI-Hand team is to obtain a prosthetic hand prototype to participate in the Arm Prosthesis Race of the Cybathlon (ETH Zurich). The development of hand prostheses manufactured by 3D printing is of growing interest due to the popularization and low cost of this technology. However, the functionality obtained by these devices is still far from that of the human hand. The challenge is oriented to the development of improved anthropomorphic hand prostheses and their evaluation through realistic grasping activities. This work is expected to lead to the development of Final Degree Projects with a focus on innovation and research. The topic of the challenge proposed is strongly related to the tasks developed by the Biomechanical and Ergonomics research group of the Universitat Jaume I, therefore, the results of this educational improvement should be highly rewarding for both students and teachers. This work contributes to the improvement of the degree through: fostering learning by doing, working in multidisciplinary teams, coordinating the different subjects of the degree, encouraging ethics and social responsibility, increasing the involvement in the Sustainable Development Goals, and developing a research approach.

Keywords:

Challenge Based Learning, Mechanical Engineering, Research approach.