ENHANCEMENT OF TEACHING TECHNIQUES AND STUDENT LEARNING IN A PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY UNDERGRADUATE COURSE

Engineering education requires engineering practice, supervision, and experience. This paper examines some of the main elements of engineering education and its challenges in mechanical and manufacturing engineering courses. Innovative teaching and learning methods are discussed for introducing students to the engineering profession. A number of techniques and suggestions are provided to enhance the engineering education process. These include the importance of practice, audio- visual tools, and broadening the students' perspectives of ethical issues in engineering. Student feedback indicates that such an integrated approach enhances their learning. Industry- based projects help them to be better prepared for the graduate engineering profession as well as improve their communication skills. A number of such enhancements to engineering courses are highlighted in this paper.