DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10020045

Summary
A short experiment project on finite element method (FEM) for undergraduate students is presented in this paper. The authors present the teaching system and experiment plan, students’ evaluation of the teaching process design with respect to outcome-based education system. The course is designed to enhance students’ ability to employ digital thinking and numerical analysis to solve complex engineering problems. It is based on an experiment which combines theoretical structural mechanics analysis of the simplified model, experimental test, structural analysis using FEM software, analysis of results optimization of the structure. The comparison of the results using various approaches enables students to evaluate the accuracy aspect of the numerical analysis. The authors provide the analysis on students’ satisfaction on the learning process and the change in the course objective achievements.

Relevance for Complex Systems Knowledge
The authors propose framework for the course to train the students to solve complex engineering problems and develop their skills in digital thinking and numerical analysis. The numerical analysis is performed by finite element method which is a bridge between applied mathematics and engineering. The students must consider the principles of mathematics, natural science, engineering science, temperature influence and other factors which influence the analyzed structure. The presented course requires and helps to improve knowledge in linear algebra, theoretical and experimental mechanics. The important part of this course is carrying the practical experiment which enables to transfer theoretical knowledge to practice. It also helps to develop analytical skills by comparing results of practical and numerical experiments.

Point of Strength
The strength of this article is to demonstrate experimental system based on engineering problems and its importance in developing students’ skills to apply finite element modeling in solving engineering problems, experiment, analyze and compare the results.