Introducing a project-based learning approach in a course on design of machine elements: a case study in two public universities in Portugal

This study explores the integration of the Race Party challenge, as a project-based learning approach, in the design of machine elements courses at the Universities of Coimbra and Minho. The Race Party challenge is a pedagogical activity, in which the students, organized in teams, are required to design, develop and construct a minicar to run five meters in a flat surface, as fast as possible. Besides the instructive approach associated with traditional design of machine elements course, the students also embrace the managerial dimension of the project organization. Assignments, deliverables, laboratory activities, written reports, oral presentations and the competition at the end of the semester provide students a good number of hands-on learning experience incorporating various didactic aspects in a structured manner. Within the scope and objectives of the Race Party project, students can not only apply knowledge from previous curricular units, but also acquire and develop soft skills, such as teamwork competences. The Race Party project demands students to creatively solve open-ended problems with a clear success metric and guided sequence. The Race Party is a simple, safety and practical activity, yet it is a highly demanding project, since involves different aspects associated with the design of machines elements. Thus, the main objective of this work is to present a pilot study carried out at the Universities of Coimbra and Minho, where the Race Party challenge was implemented in a course on machine design. For this purpose, the students’ voice is the key instrument utilized to assess the effectiveness of this innovative pedagogical approach. By and large, it was recognized, by students and instructors from both universities involved, that the Race Party project is successful and effective for teaching and learning machine elements design.