SEPT Approaches for Education and Training using a Learning Factory

A modern learning factory that implements several technologies included in the Industry 4.0 concept and has a strong experiential learning approach has been developed in the School of Engineering Practice and Technology (SEPT) at McMaster University in Canada. This paper focuses on the educational models used for teaching undergraduate and graduate students, and on the processes used to develop industrial and community sponsored projects in the SEPT Learning Factory. The models through which learning is accomplished in the Learning Factory are presented. Undergraduate learning approaches through capstone projects developed in the SEPT Cyber Physical Systems Learning Centre that includes the SEPT Learning Factory as the hub to support these projects are described. Examples of student projects developed and completed in the Learning Factory are presented. Research projects developed by graduate students who use the Learning Factory for their research work and projects that involve the collaboration of undergraduate and graduate students are also described. The ways in which the learning factory is used for innovation and testing new ideas in cooperation with the industrial and community partners are also presented.