Abstract:

All though, a causal relationship between the active involvement of students with the education process and the level of learning outcomes has already been clearly demonstrated by numerous researchers, the choice of appropriate educational methods and "tools" for effectively engaging students in the learning process remains a serious problem for every teacher. This study demonstrates the application of Project Based Learning - PBL method to the teaching of a Mechanism Kinematic Analysis course, in a higher education institution, and highlights the specific factors that have effectively contributed to the remarkable increase in student performance. The project subject, the kinematic study of various variants of a landing system and the construction of a scale model, catalyzed the excitement of the students' minds and allowed them to assume the role of an aerospace industry engineer. Students were supported by lectures and also encouraged to work in groups, interact, cooperate and facilitate their colleagues. They soon overcame serious theoretical problems and became familiar with the use of the required algebraic and arithmetic methods and came up with results that were verified with the physical model they constructed. A special day was dedicated to the presentation of the works and models by the student groups. The distribution of the students' grades in the final examinations showed a clear positive shift of 25% compared to previous years.

Keywords:

Project Based Learning, Student Involvement, Excitement in Learning, Student Interaction.