A Hybrid Teaching Factory Model for Supporting the Educational Process in COVID-19 era

Dimitris Mourtzis; Nikos Panopoulos; John Angelopoulos; Stelios Zygomalas; George Dimitrakopoulos; Panos Stavropoulos

doi:10.1016/j.procir.2021.11.274

A Hybrid Teaching Factory Model for Supporting the Educational Process in COVID-19 era

Procedia CIRP. 2021:104:1626-1631. doi: 10.1016/j.procir.2021.11.274. Epub 2021 Nov 26.

Authors

Dimitris Mourtzis¹, Nikos Panopoulos¹, John Angelopoulos¹, Stelios Zygomalas¹, George Dimitrakopoulos¹, Panos Stavropoulos¹

Affiliation

¹ Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems and Automation (LMS), Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics, University of Patras, Rio Patras 26504, Greece.

Abstract

The lockdown due to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic forced both educators and students to swift and rely on digital technologies in order to ensure the successful completion of modules based on the official curriculum. Universities are still facing the challenging issue to offer high quality learning opportunities without risking participants' health. Towards that end, the current study presents a Hybrid Model under the Teaching Factory framework concept that has been successfully implemented and validated. In a hybrid laboratory case study, Engineering students guided remotely laboratory personnel towards a successful manufacture and assembly of a customized remote-control car. Benefits and boundaries of the current approach are discussed along with future perspectives.

Keywords: COVID-19; Education Process; Hybrid Model; SARS-CoV-2; Teaching Factory Model.