Simic and Mo, Holistic Educational Development Integrated Through Mechatronics Design Proceedings of the 2008 AaeE Conference, Yeppoon, Copyright © Simic and Mo, 2008 1 Holistic Educational Development Integrated Through Mechatronics Design Milan Simic RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia Milan.Simic@rmit.edu.au John P.T. Mo RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia John.Mo@rmit.edu.au Abstract: This paper presents an approach in educational development of resources and programs based on multidisciplinary concept. The development is built around the process of mechatronics program delivery that is currently introduced in tertiary education within RMIT University. Mechatronics is a multidisciplinary engineering area that incorporates mechanical, electrical, electronics, computer and information systems. Students studying Mechatronics Engineering expand their knowledge of various systems and scientific areas and integrate them in a working system. Through work integrated learning, students are encouraged to obtain new knowledge and skills by doing the job, not just learning from the textbooks and attending lectures. Subject material is delivered in variety of ways, started with face-to-face delivery, seminars, tutorials and lab sessions. The key component of this education is project work conducted in small teams. Finally, University conducts surveys after every single subject delivery and the results of the latest survey are presented here. According to the survey, students are extremely satisfied with the new approach that focuses on problem solving, project and exploration work. Introduction The School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (the School) is a large multi- disciplinary engineering school in Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), offering full range of educational programs. The School is located in a spacious campus that has been developed over the last decade for senior undergraduate students and postgraduate research studies. The Manufacturing and Materials (M&M) Engineering Discipline is the first teaching and research area established on the campus. Since early 2007, the M&M Discipline commenced with the development and delivery of a new degree more suitable to modern industry needs. To be capable of participating in the manufacturing industry of the 21 st • Elaborately manufactured century, our graduate engineers need to maintain their relevance in broader industry perspectives. Through industry consultations and graduate surveys, the following sectors of engineering are identified as potential employers of a “manufacturing” graduate: • Supply chain and logistics • Virtual organisations and services • Project and one-off manufacturing Following that, graduate engineers should have manufacturing management skills and knowledge, combined with expertise in mechatronics, process control engineering and quality control. Multidisciplinary knowledge of mechatronics is significant for Manufacturing Engineers responsible for the design and management of automated systems. This comprehensive, multidisciplinary, engineering is a global trend. Smart manufacturing is the only way Australian industry could stay competitive in the international arena. The ability to analyse, control and design mechatronics systems is therefore essential, and forms part of the knowledge base required to make our graduates job ready. Citation: Simic, M and Mo, J 2008, 'Holistic educational development integrated through mechatronics design', in To Industry and Beyond, Yeppoon, Australia, 7-10 December, 2008.