Concepts of the international manufacturing remote lab (MINTReLab): Combination of a MOOC and a remote lab for a manufacturing technology online course

A concept for a Manufacturing Technology Online Course, which combines the MOOC approach and the use of a remote laboratory is presented. Hence, this online course is a combination of a MOOC-concept and a physically existing but tele-operatively usable experimentation laboratory for real engineering experimentation. Developing this online course can be either used as an advertising for mechanical engineering education in Germany and for the “Master of Science in Manufacturing Technology (MMT)” or as one part of the preparation process for international students coming to Dortmund in advance of their stay in Germany. For doing so the course offers not only core engineering content around the topic of manufacturing technology but also explains the German educational system at higher education institutions and presents cultural information about Germany as a place to live.