Industrial Challenges for Face-to-Face and Online Project-Based Learning in Engineering Higher Education: Student Perspective

Abstract

Cooperation between HEIs (Higher Education Institutions) and industry has a long-lasting history, since the time when universities have focused on the development of skills required for employment. The closer collaboration with industry, from one side, enables a smoother shift from graduation to employment and provides additional funding for research. On the other side, industry benefits from highly qualified researchers and skilled employees, access to technologies and expensive research infrastructure. Modern cooperation between HEIs and industry takes place on the grounds of education, research, valorization and management. The first two forms of cooperation are most developed on the European market. The background of this paper is a course on Systematic Creativity and TRIZ at LUT University within which the project-based learning approach was applied. The aim of the paper is to demonstrate how digital education can promote international cooperation between students and industry. The case study of the course is based on group projects initiated by international companies. The paper reveals students’ perspectives toward project-based learning and provides recommendations for instructors who would like to adapt this learning approach.