The Art Of Repairing - Or How To Teach Engineering Students Sustainable Design Principles

Project-based learning bridges the gap between theoretical training and practical applications. The motivation of students to participate is increased especially by working out real-life problems. To provide this kind of practical learning experience, we are establishing a repair project for broken, otherwise discarded, lab equipment. It will not only help to reduce waste and save money by repairing research equipment, but will also encourage interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. Providing a space to learn about the underlying functional properties of various often highly specialized lab instruments, students identify malfunctions, deepen understanding of vulnerable designs, and discuss and perform strategies for repairing them under guidance, while collecting credit points. Through gaining a deep understanding of how these instruments work, students may even invent new strategies to realize similar tasks or add new features. This project builds on the findings from a 2021 pilot study. We discovered that by offering a repair project, students were able to gain a deeper understanding of theoretical concepts, improve their self-confidence as well as their motivation in learning, and increase their awareness of sustainable design. In the following, we are presenting the transformation of the pilot study into a current course concept. With weekly minievaluations we are monitoring students’ learning success towards their learning goals and share the results.