This year, we are trying something new. There are no lectures, and there will be no final exam, and you can decide when you are ready to be assessed. This freedom will work well for some, but for others it may not. But don't worry, we are here to help. If you feel like you are getting behind, please make use of my drop in office hours, where I can provide some extra tutoring.

Grading and passing requirement for unit: In order to pass this unit a student must obtain a mark of 50 or more for the unit (i.e. obtain a passing grade P/ CR/ D/ HD). For further details about grading, please refer below in the policies and procedures section.

Late submissions and Re-submissions:  Late submissions will not generally be considered. Extenuating circumstances will be considered upon lodgement of an application for special consideration. Re-submissions of work are not allowed.

Due Dates: By census date (19-Aug) all students must have completed 3 ilearn tests and the introductory practical project. Grades of 0 will be entered for these tasks if they have not been completed by that date. By 10 Oct, all students must have completed 7 iLearn tests and 3 practical projects.

There will be NO PRACTICAL CLASSES in week 1

Textbook: Introduction to Mechatronics and Measurement Systems by Alciatore and Histand. (3^rd or 4^th Edition is suitable)

Equipment: You must have your own Arduino electronics kit (as supplied to you in ENGG1000). It must contain the following items: 1    arduino, 1    breadboard, 30    wires, 10    LEDs various color, 10    330R, 2    10kR, 1    turnpot, 2    pushbottons, 1    buzzer.

Textbook homepage:      http://mechatronics.colostate.edu/

Technology and Software: We will use Arduino microcontrollers for all practical sessions. You will also be expected to analyse data using matlab, MS Excel or some other program of your choice.

The School of Engineering is interested in improving its learning and teaching practices. This has led to growing use of project-based learning. We have observed that students completing well-designed and well-supported projects are highly engaged. We hypothesize that one of the factors that contributes to this engagement is student agency. The level of agency that students experience will depend on the scaffolds available to them within a supportive learning environment 

For a unit in second year, it is not always practical to allow students to choose the content of their learning. An engineering program relies on structured, prerequisite knowledge and so earlier units must deliver prescribed technical knowledge and skill. While students cannot always choose what they learn, we can use systems that allow a flexible pace of study to foster mastery learning, in which students persist until they reach a high level of understanding and performance. Choosing when to sit for assessment involves self-assessment and evaluative judgement of their own progress by students. This skill in self-assessment of progress has been linked with better learning.

Dr Inglis has taught the unit Introduction to Mechatronics (MTRN2060) for 8 years. For the past 5 years, the structure has been essentially the same: weekly lectures, weekly quizzes, weekly practicals, and final exam. Each student works on the same topics to the same deadlines. At the School of Engineering retreat in 2020, Inglis and colleagues developed an alternative structure that is inspired by their experiences with self-directed learning and the scholarship of teaching.

The new structure will be based on 11 modules and 7 practical activities. The modules comprise learning material, a practice quiz and an invigilated iLearn quiz, which we call a test. Students can choose to take the test at any time after they demonstrate mastery on the practice quiz. Similarly, practical activities can be started after mastery of prerequisite modules, and can be assessed at any time. To ensure progression, students must complete a certain number of modules and activities at census date and week 9. We hypothesize that this new learning and teaching method, and the increased agency in allowing students to work at their own pace and judge when they are ready for assessment, will mean longer-term retention of the unit material.