Education for Industry 4.0: Introducing Engineering Students to Cloud-Based Collaborative Design

This paper proposes and explores an approach to learning cloud-based collaborative design in the framework of a new course that introduces engineering students to Industry 4.0. The approach was implemented in the course workshop and was featured by active learning in the FabLab space, the use of the new SaaS CAD platform Onshape, and a challenging collaborative assignment prompting prototype-redesign iterations. We conducted an exploratory case study that evaluated the proposed approach regarding the workshop learning outcomes and the use of the data analytics tools of Onshape. The participants were 18 junior and senior engineering students majoring in mechanical engineering. We collected the educational research data using pre-course and post-workshop questionnaires as well as using the data analytics tools of the Onshape Education Enterprise. Most students highly evaluated the workshop’s contribution to fostering their skills in design collaboration, 3D printing, and engineering problem-solving. The data analytics tools of OEE supported the findings from student reflections and provided objective evidence of design, collaboration, and communication processes that occurred in student teams. The researchers considered this study as a step towards the development of the methodology for cloud-based collaborative design education.