Rui M. Lima

Distributed production planning and control agent-based system

A model of an Agent-based Production Planning and Control (PPC) system that can be dynamically adaptable to local and distributed utilization of production resources and materials is presented. The PPC system is based on the selection of resources to deal with one order of different quantities of one product each time. In this way, one scheduling solution is provided for that particular order. The production resources are selected and scheduled using a multi-agent system supported by an implementation of the Smith Contract Net, using Java Spaces technology. The multi-agent system is based on three main agents: Client, Resource, and Manager. These agents negotiate the final product, and the correspondent components, requested by the client. An order for each product (component) triggers a process of dynamic design of a production system to fulfil that particular order. This system exists until the end of the order.

Engaging students in learning: findings from a study of project-led education

This paper reports on findings from a three-year study of project-based learning implemented in the first year of the Industrial Engineering and Management programme, at the University of Minho, Portugal. This particular model was inspired on project-led education (PLE), following Powell and Weenks [2003. Project-Led Engineering Education. Utrecht: Lemma] work. It aims to analyse students’ perceptions of PLE as a learning device and its implications for faculty and students’ role in teaching and learning. Data collection took place in two phases through individual surveys and focus groups to students. Findings suggest the importance of PLE as a device to enhance meaningful learning and provide evidence from students that it helps to increase their engagement in learning. Implications of PLE for faculty and students role in teaching and learning will be discussed in the paper.

Students’ views of assessment in project-led engineering education: findings from a case study in Portugal

According to the demands of the Bologna process, new educational methods and strategies are needed in order to enhance student-centred learning. Project work is one of those approaches. This paper aims to evaluate the impact of project-led education (PLE) on students’ learning processes and outcomes, within the context of a first-year engineering programme. It explores students’ perceptions about assessment procedures and processes. Data collection was based on individual surveys at the end and the beginning of each PLE edition and through focus groups, after a period of six months. Findings are presented according to emerging themes from the data analysis, focusing mainly on students’ perspectives of learning and assessment, the role of formative and summative assessments in PLE and their impact on learning. Implications for improving assessment practices are discussed.

Project based learning in first year, first semester of industrial engineering and management: Some results

This work was financed by National Funds - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under Project PestOE/EME/UI0252/2011 and SFRH/BD/62116/2009.

Project-based learning course design: a service design approach

Engineering education is becoming increasingly focused on developing competences, creating meaningful learning experiences and paying special attention to professional profiles as required by accreditation bodies. Project-based learning (PBL) is one of the approaches that is regarded as an adequate response to the current demands of engineering education. PBL is, by definition, based on interdisciplinary integration, so the design process is based on complex interdisciplinary requirements and interactions demanding systematic and standardised approaches. This work aims to develop a service design framework for the development of a project-based curriculum, which is regarded as a specific interpretation of service design. A service design approach based on structure, process and outcome dimensions is related with a set of methodological dimensions. This framework is connected with curriculum development levels to build a design model for PBL courses. Finally, the model is applied to a PBL curriculum design process in a Production Engineering graduate degree.

A Project Management Framework for Planning and Executing Interdisciplinary Learning Projects in Engineering Education

Traditional teaching methods being adopted in higher education across European Universities are not contributing effectively to the real needs of today’s world. The current challenges that the world is facing, concerning the new economic paradigms, centred on eco-sustainability along with global and unbalanced competitiveness, demand new answers from the universities. The professionals that universities must create should be prepared with the right set of hard and soft skills so they can rapidly contribute with new energy to the existing enterprises and other organizations.

A aprendizagem baseada em projectos interdisciplinares: avaliação do impacto de uma experiência no ensino de engenharia

Neste artigo apresentamos dados de um projecto de investigacao mais vasto que pretende avaliar o impacto de uma experiencia de Aprendizagem Baseada em Projectos Interdisciplinares no Mestrado Integrado de Engenharia e Gestao Industrial (MIEGI). Para tal, foi utilizado o Modelo de Avaliacao CIPP (Context, Input, Process, Product) de Stufflebeam (2003) como quadro de referencia para a avaliacao do projecto nas suas varias dimensoes. O design da investigacao caracterizou-se por uma metodologia eminentemente qualitativa, com recurso a alguns metodos quantitativos. Os resultados da investigacao de que damos conta neste artigo baseiam-se, sobretudo, nas percepcoes dos estudantes sobre o processo de implementacao e avaliacao desta experiencia. No que diz respeito ao seu impacto nos resultados e processos de aprendizagem dos alunos, ele surge associado a uma maior compreensao e aplicacao dos conteudos e ao desenvolvimento de um conjunto de competencias transversais, tais como a capacidade de comunicacao, de trabalho em equipa, de resolucao de problemas, de gestao de conflitos e, ainda, o sentido de responsabilidade.

Active Learning in Engineering Education: a (re)introduction.

ABSTRACT The informal network ‘Active Learning in Engineering Education’ (ALE) has been promoting Active Learning since 2001. ALE creates opportunity for practitioners and researchers of engineering education to collaboratively learn how to foster learning of engineering students. The activities in ALE are centred on the vision that learners construct their knowledge based on meaningful activities and knowledge. In 2014, the steering committee of the ALE network reinforced the need to discuss the meaning of Active Learning and that was the base for this proposal for a special issue. More than 40 submissions were reviewed by the European Journal of Engineering Education community and this theme issue ended up with eight contributions, which are different both in their research and Active Learning approaches. These different Active Learning approaches are aligned with the different approaches that can be increasingly found in indexed journals.

Measurement rounding errors in an assessment model of project led Engineering Education

This paper analyzes the rounding errors that occur in the assessment of an interdisciplinary Project-Led Education (PLE) process implemented in the Integrated Master degree on Industrial Management and Engineering (IME) at University of Minho. PLE is an innovative educational methodology which makes use of active learning, promoting higher levels of motivation and studentsâ?? autonomy. The assessment model is based on multiple evaluation components with different weights. Each component can be evaluated by several teachers involved in different Project Supporting Courses (PSC). This model can be affected by different types of errors, namely: (1) rounding errors, and (2) non-uniform criteria of rounding the grades. A rigorous analysis of the assessment model was made and the rounding errors involved on each project component were characterized and measured. This resulted in a global maximum error of 0.308 on the individual student project grade, in a 0 to 100 scale. This analysis intended to improve not only the reliability of the assessment results, but also teachersâ?? awareness of this problem. Recommendations are also made in order to improve the assessment model and reduce the rounding errors as much as possible.

Student assessment in project based learning

In recent years, student assessment in higher education settings has changed. There has been a shift from the traditional testing culture to an assessment culture (Birenbaum, 1996) which favours the integration of assessment, teaching and learning, through active student involvement and authentic assessment tasks (Sambell et al., 1997).