Enhancing students materials science experience through Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)

With the aim of enhancing students’ international awareness, improve intercultural skills; and sharing and transferring materials knowledge, a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) activity has been embedded in the Materials and Manufacture module of mechanical engineering and computer aided mechanical degree courses. COIL is a learning and teaching approach that uses internet-based tools to connect students and staff from universities in different countries providing an opportunity for those students unable to go out on a physical mobility scheme (e.g. Erasmus) to gain some international experience inspiring cultural curiosity in them. Three Universities around the world, Scotland, USA and Venezuela took part in the project. The activity selected for this purpose was a Car Dissection, where students selected and analysed a car component based on
i) Functionality, ii) Physics involved, iii) Materials and iv) Manufacturing process. Students were able to apply reversed engineering through the analysis of microstructures as well as to have the possibility to be introduced to global manufacturing practices.