An Inquiry-based Learning Approach in Engineering Education regarding Simulation Practice on Automation Control.

Abstract

Automatic control is currently used widely, so it is in engineer curriculum of every major of institutions, which is instructed in most major curriculums. Each curriculum focuses on application of mathematics in high theory in order to describe the system behavior, which makes learners in automatic control subject. The learners face with the understanding of occurring after the input stimulation, which results the learner’s lack of practice skills on instrument and control. Therefore, to promote learners to understand the system behavior, and gain practice skills, this research presents the instructional model focused on learner’s vision on the system behavior by using computer program in order to simulate the abstract work on computer screen, and connect to concrete work from op-amp electrical circuit on PCB, and measure the system behavior from inquiry -based learning. Teachers are facilitators to monitor learners to connect the simulation with the testing of op-amp instrument. It is operated effectively by learners who are able to see the overall results from the experimental presentation through websites, which learners present through google sites. The researcher will take the instructional model to use with third-year learners.