Project-based Learning Approach for Control System Courses

This paper introduces the design and development of control system courses in an undergraduate program by using Project-Based Learning (PBL) when the curriculum uses Traditional Education. The paper presents a complete outline of control courses that takes into account the problem definition, project duration, support resources and student evaluation. In this approach, students are organized into teams to develop a project seeking to find the solution to a control problem. The approach is devoted to placing a professional challenge into the course, so students learn the topics while they solve the problem, and develop the transversal skills needed to face the new challenges of control. The approach uses the peer-assessment and self-assessment activities to evaluate abilities, knowledge, and observe the development of transversal skills. The impact of the proposed approach is evaluated by using a survey and observing the student performance. Aspects about the survey design and survey results are presented analyzing the contribution of 94 Revista Controle & Automação/Vol.23 no.1/Janeiro e Fevereiro 2012 the proposed approach to develop skills like teamwork, selflearning, problem solving and communication abilities.