Enhancing the Student Learning Outcomes in Electric Drives and Control by Integrating the Core Courses Through PBL Approach

Abstract

In recent years Power Electronics and Drives has gained much importance in the Electrical Engineering domain, owing to the growing need for industrial applications, such as Motor Drives, Switched Mode Power Supplies (SMPS) and Electric Vehicle. Electric Drives and Control course is delivered for Electrical and Electronics Engineering junior year students at K.L.E Technological University, India. The course derives the knowledge from the core courses of the program like Electrical Machines, Power Electronics and Control Systems. It is challenging to facilitate the integrated learning experience to students at the junior year with conventional teaching pedagogy. Problem Based Learning (PBL) approach is known to be a fascinating, problem-centered teaching/learning process, that helps the student for a more in-depth understanding of the concepts and to strengthen the application of the knowledge gained by students in theory classes. This paper presents the experience of faculty team adopting a PBL in delivering Electric Drives and Control course for junior year level at K.L.E Technological University. An openended problem in Electric drives and Control laboratory was floated as a PBL activity to integrate the learnt concepts of three courses (Electrical Machines, Power Electronics and Control Systems). Through this approach we are able to increase learning outcome of a student such as applying fundamental knowledge of electrical science, theoretical and practical understanding of a subject, use of modern engineering tool to solve complex problem and to validate the simulation and practical results.