Laboratório de controle baseado na metodologia “Motivação pelo Desafioâ€

Abstract

This work describes the application of methodology “Motivation-by-Challenge†in laboratory, for Electrical and Control & Automation Engineering curricula in Brazil. Students are exposed to a challenge (a problem) to solve, with a set of performance specifications. Small plants are presented or proposed to be constructed. The tools are data acquisition, modeling and parameters identification, validation by simulation, controller design and tuning. The challenge remains, until a reasonable solution is obtained. The students share the learning task with the instructor, being an active part of the process. Differently from the conventional methodology, with repetitive tasks, they have an innovative participation in the learning process, being responsible for the obtained results. One problem of this approach is a bigger amount of work attributed to the instructor, forcing the preparation of new challenges each semester. Otherwise, it results in more effective learning, traduced by the enthusiasm shown by all people involved.

Index Terms - Education in Electrical and in Control & Automation Engineering, Motivation-by-Challenge Methodology, Process Control, Control Laboratory.