Innovation and Practice of a Computer Control Technology Teaching Model for New Engineering Talent Training
Hongbiao Xiang
Tianjin Key Laboratory for Advanced Mechatronic System Design and Intelligent Control, School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin, China and National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Education, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin, China.
Yijiao Zhao *
Tianjin Key Laboratory for Advanced Mechatronic System Design and Intelligent Control, School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin, China and National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Education, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin, China.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This study developed and evaluated an integrated teaching model for Computer Control Technology within the framework of New Engineering Education. A descriptive comparison was conducted between two consecutive cohorts of third-year mechatronic engineering students at Tianjin University of Technology during the first semesters of the 2024–2025 and 2025–2026 academic years. Each cohort comprised 72 students and was taught by the same instructor under consistent course hours, assessment weights, examination difficulty, and marking standards. The course was reorganised into basic, advanced, and integrated modules, with outcome-based objectives aligned with project- and case-based learning, virtual simulation, embedded implementation, physical verification, debugging, and engineering communication. Learning-outcome attainment, course-performance indicators, and student-satisfaction ratings were compared descriptively. Mean learning-outcome attainment increased from 0.70 to 0.86, while the overall course score increased from 77.7 to 89.3. The excellent rate rose from 12.5% to 27.8%, and the pass rate increased from 87.5% to 97.2%. Mean student satisfaction increased from 3.61 to 4.39, with the largest relative gain observed for virtual simulation support. The findings indicate that the integrated model was accompanied by improved attainment, performance, and satisfaction across the two cohorts. However, because the evaluation involved successive cohorts from one course and did not include individual-level statistical testing, the results should be interpreted as course-specific descriptive evidence.
Keywords: Computer control technology, new engineering education, outcome-based education, project-based learning, virtual simulation, embedded implementation, physical verification, engineering education reform, learning-outcome attainment, student satisfaction