Perspective Chapter: Development of Mass Online Courses That Include Practical Work Based on the Home Laboratory

Abstract

The chapter presents an approach to designing an educational program implemented in MOOC format. By the example of this approach, an educational program including the creation of a student’s home laboratory in the areas of electronics, programming, and design is developed. It is demonstrated that the cost of creating a home laboratory is such that many students from developed countries have the opportunity to build their own home learning laboratory to perform practical work on the construction of complete technical devices. Safety issues in using the home lab and forming practical assignments are addressed. Assumptions are made about the development of such direction in the creation of educational programs.

1. Introduction

In 2020, the Moscow Aviation Institute was faced with the need to organize classes remotely due to the COVID pandemic. While for IT and humanities training areas the transition to online did not have a significant impact on the quality of training, for technical areas it became a serious challenge. A large amount of practical work of students was replaced by virtual laboratory work, in addition, some forms of industrial practice had to be canceled completely or significantly reduced. Under these conditions, the development of new technologies of practical training and effective methods has become a very urgent task.

The subject of the study was the technology of organizing practical work of students at home, as access to special equipment was significantly limited, and virtual laboratory work does not give a complete immersion in the subject area of practice-oriented courses. At the same time, it should be noted that there are a large number of works on the creation of technologies for remote control of research equipment [1, 2, 3], as well as on virtual twins of products, processes, and technologies [4, 5, 6]. In spite of this, all the mentioned technologies do not allow students to get practical skills by working with their own hands taking into account the peculiarities of real equipment operation, conducting experiments, etc. Besides, there are more than 20,000 students at our university, which makes it impossible to organize individual formats of the educational process for economic reasons. On this basis, it was necessary to develop a current educational program for mass training, taking into account the practical work.

Currently, the mass format of learning using Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) has shown its effectiveness for training in various fields and areas of knowledge [7]. However, this format also has its drawbacks. For example, a small percentage of successfully completed courses and often the inability to organize practical activities using engineering equipment [8]. Currently, microelectronics and 3D printing technologies are actively developing, which makes many products available for home use and allow creation of very professional laboratories at home [9].

This chapter is devoted to the technologies of creating a home laboratory, which can be used in the process of training in technical and, first of all, engineering disciplines. When designing courses forming a home laboratory it is important to consider several aspects: the methodology of forming a laboratory by going through the appropriate stages of the educational process, the issues of possible technologies that are already available for mass application at home, as well as software and safety issues when organizing these activities. In addition, the MOOC format imposes certain requirements on the evaluation procedures for final projects or intermediate learning outcomes, which must be taken into account when developing content and putting it into popular systems such as OpenEdx or other MOOC software.

The considered term of online training programs refers to distance learning training programs, that is, mediated by telecommunication technologies of the Internet for organizing a two-way communication channel between students, teachers (mentors, experts), and other participants in the educational process. The terminology of distance learning [10, 11] has two main barriers: distance and time. In our case, an attempt was made to overcome the remoteness of students from the laboratories of an educational institution by organizing a specially structured educational program.

In the process of preparing materials for this chapter, a study of the 3D printing market was conducted, as well as the software and online services. To collect data on the cost of software licenses, from official portals of manufacturers and official requests for product prices to software vendors as of the end of 2022 were used. Data on the cost of 3D printers and other products were collected by analyzing the cost of standard representatives according to predefined criteria (for example, the volume of the printing area) from the most popular Internet suppliers by analyzing prices for different regions of the world and determining the average cost.

The choice of courses for the program and its structure was determined by an expert survey of representatives in aerospace enterprises and university teachers working on training schoolchildren at Moscow Aviation Institute (sample of 50 people), based on an analysis of publications on STEM training and working materials on CDIO initiative [12].

The analysis of the program’s effectiveness was based on the analysis of the student’s enrolment in the leading universities of Moscow. It is based on the results of the individual courses in the online format during the year 2020.

2. Practical activities in engineering courses

Currently, MOOCs are often used as part of the educational process in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) disciplines [13], taking place in a classical format. Moreover, if for IT technologies and mathematical disciplines this direction is quite well developed, then in terms of technology and engineering the number of courses on the most popular MOOC resources is not so many.

There are quite interesting solutions to organize practical activities online; however, they are mostly simplified models of real equipment. For example, there is a modeling environment Tinkercad [14] for 3D modeling and simulation of Arduino-based controllers [15]. In the mentioned environment you can assemble an electronic circuit and program an Arduino-based controller to perform certain operations with real equipment. However, with all these advantages, there are still quite a few issues that are important in real life, but you cannot simulate: chatter in the contacts, connections of conductors, variations in the parameters of real components, the scatter of servo parameters, and much more. In addition, in this environment, it is impossible to perform the assembly of the 3D model and the available electronics to perform a comprehensive project.

One of the most effective approaches to organizing hands-on activities in engineering education today is Conceiving–Designing–Implementing–Operating (CDIO) [16]. The CDIO initiative is an innovative educational framework for producing the next generation of engineers. The framework provides students with an education stressing engineering fundamentals set in the context of CDIO real-world systems and products. Throughout the world, CDIO initiative collaborators have adopted CDIO as the framework of their curricular planning and outcome-based assessment.

Of course, it is difficult to produce complex systems at home, so you can focus on fairly simple projects from available components and using easy-to-use technology. Nevertheless, this framework is optimal for use in shaping the structure of courses to form a home learning space for practice. Hereinafter we will call this space a home laboratory. From a psychological point of view, it is important that each student has his/her individual space, adjusted to his/her characteristics. This is why it is important to leave a place for creativity and imagination when carrying out practical activities. At the same time, we should not forget the basic steps that allow us to maintain the general direction of the educational process.

Returning to the form of implementation in the form of MOOCs it is necessary to decide on the model to be used in the construction of the educational program. Massive Open Online Courses have two models (Conole 2013; Daniel 2012); cMOOCs and xMOOCs. cMOOCs place heavy emphasis on knowledge production in network learning environments, while xMOOCs concentrate on repetition and presentation. Coursera, edX, and Udemy are the most popular xMOOCs platforms that offer courses on different topics. xMOOCs are used in a wide range of areas, especially computer engineering, philosophy, history, and nursing [17].

Obviously, in order to implement CDIO approaches in MOOC format it is more efficient to use a model in which new knowledge will be produced by students’ projects, but this will lead to a high workload of mentors and online course supervisors, which is often unacceptable for economic reasons. Based on this, the organization needs to find a reasonable balance between independent practice and minimize consulting activities by maximizing the use of knowledge bases and already existing communities of professionals in the desired fields of practice.

3. Technologies for creating a home lab

The cheapest, safest, and most applicable technology for creating new products at home is 3D printing technology. In addition, this technology has a minimum of limitations when creating products at home, compared, for example, with the technology of milling (wood, metal) or laser cutting (phoner). These technologies require noise protection and ventilation, which is practically impossible when forming a home laboratory.

Of the 3D-printing technologies, the safest and easiest to use in terms of technological preparation of production is FDM technology. An FDM 3D printer works by depositing melted filament material over a build platform layer by layer until you have a completed part. FDM uses digital design files that are uploaded to the machine itself and translates them into physical dimensions. Materials for FDM include polymers such as ABS, PLA, PETG, and PEI, which the machine feeds as threads through a heated nozzle [18].

To create a home assembly laboratory, we prefer low-cost or DIY printers [19]. Each of the projects has its advantages and disadvantages, but the price of printers with a printable area of the order of 200 × 200 × 200 is steadily approaching $200 and, apparently, will soon reach the price of $100 for a DIY kit. Prices for some kits and ready-made 3D printers as of the end of 2022 are shown in Table 1.

3D printer model	Print field	Extruder drive	Price*, $
Easythreed K1 Desktop Mini	100x100x100	direct	120
EasyThreed Nano 3d	90x110x110	direct	170
FUNTASTIQUE Evo v1.1	125x130x160	bowden	230
QIDI TECH X-one2 3D Printer	140x140x140	direct	300
Anet A8	220x220x240	direct	250

Table 1.

Prices for some cheap DIY kits and 3D printers.

*

Prices may vary depending on suppliers and regions, the average value is given.

Moreover, for higher printing accuracy in projects, we recommend using printers with a direct extruder drive: this increases the accuracy of the printer along the line thickness on the layer, which sometimes may be essential for small products and fasteners.

Despite the fact that the cost of DIY kits is slightly less than a ready-made solution, in the end, the assembled printer will cost more. At the same time, the skills of designing a real object are mastered. The most optimal course for inclusion in the curriculum is a course on self-assembly of DIY 3D printer kit with consulting support, but this is possible only with a large number of similar kits offered as a part of the curriculum at a price below retail. In practice, these courses may appear in the near future, since 3D printing technologies are actively used in STEM teaching at school [20].

In addition to the printer, consumables will be required, so the price of Polylactic acid (PLA) plastic is about $40 per 1 kg, plus $20 for glue. This volume of consumables is enough for the practical development of FDM 3D printing technology.

Currently, there are a large number of slicing programs for preparing models for printing, however, the recognized leader in the FDM printing segment is Cura from Ultimaker (Figure 1), and so the main focus should be on exploring the possibilities of this program.

Figure 1.

One of the parts (Case for electronic) in Cura.

The specified program also contains a large number of profiles for printing on various 3D printers, which makes it easy to get into the specified technology. It is possible to include other training solutions in the future, but the specified software as of 2022 is the most complete in terms of represented 3D printers and contains all the necessary features for rapid prototyping.

All indications are that the cost of this technology will continue to decline, and the 3D printing market will grow significantly over the next few years. The extrusion segment dominated the 3D printing construction market and accounted for more than 62% share of the global revenue in 2021 [21]. The personal 3D Printers Market is projected to reach $5.44 billion by 2030 [22].

In addition to the availability of 3D printing technologies, the cost of equipment and consumables for prototyping and manufacturing electronic devices has decreased until 2022. First and foremost, we are talking about cheap electronic components and microcontrollers with a ready development ecosystem and often free software for developing application solutions.

Nowadays, almost all devices contain electronic components and control systems, so familiarity with the programming of microcontrollers and the development of devices based on them is one of the important elements of the education.

The most popular microcontrollers and microcomputers were chosen as equipment for the course implementation. Equipment and microcontrollers for building projects are the following:

• Arduino platform allows, depending on the project, using the following devices: Nano - $7, Uno - $10, Mega - $25;

• Microcomputers Raspberry Pi - Zero W - $50, Pi3 - $95, Pi4 - $140;

• Microcomputers with computers for neural networks: Nvidia Jetson Nano - $ 210.

In addition, the price of tools and instruments that may be needed to create a home laboratory—screwdrivers, drill, multimeter, caliper, various testers electronic components, programmers, and even oscilloscopes and other equipment.

All of these aspects point to the possibility of forming a home laboratory at low basic costs. And it is possible to distribute this process in time and combine it with MOOC-based learning.

4. Course structure and composition of the home laboratory for prototyping simple electronic devices

To form a home lab through the learning process, we suggest the following approach. Each MOOC included in the program contains a project module. The formation of each course in it provides for the implementation of one or more practical projects, taking into account the time to purchase the appropriate equipment and components. The structure of the project is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2.

Assembly diagram of the student’s project.

The algorithm of the project is as follows. Students receive a project topic and a basic set of possible solutions through the distance learning system. Projects in the program go from simple to complex. Depending on the level of the project, students are given more and more freedom of creativity. For example, at the initial stage, simple projects are carried out—from the field of electronics: the assembly of a simple DIY kit. And for the final stage, they design their own device to perform a given target function, for example: controlling indoor air quality.

After the project topic is approved, a project passport and all working materials are generated using various services. For example, Miro service can be used for architecture visualization, version control system, and Github service can be used for code placement and project description, and other software products depending on the level of training.

The next step is the demonstration and discussion of the project concept with the mentor and the discussion of the project concept. Peer review tools can also be used for evaluation.

After defending the concept and design passport, the process of assembling the device begins, which culminates in the finished product. It is important to realize that not all students will make it to the device assembly stage. Therefore, a video presentation of either the project or the experience gained during its implementation is used to evaluate the project activities. In this case the result of the project can be negative, but the experience is valuable.

Let us consider this approach in more detail with the example of a program for teaching schoolchildren. The main goal of this 2-year program is to prepare schoolchildren for studying in the design areas of engineering university.

The proposed program is aimed at developing critical thinking skills and designing technical objects. Proceeding from this, the main elements of the program are familiarity with modern approaches to design, programming, and development of electronic devices and technologies for their production. For training at the initial stage, we need a personal computer connected to the Internet. The structure of the program consists of the following online courses, each of which is supported by the student’s practical work in the home laboratory, which is formed in the learning process:

1. Schematics and electronics (Circuitry and assembly of simple devices on a breadboard)—3 months.

2. Programming of microcontrollers—2 months.

3. 3D design software—3 months.

4. FDM technology for 3D printing at home—3 months.

5. Mechanical systems—3 months

6. Cost management (Designing objects with purchased components, taking into account the logistics of supplies and the cost of the project) —2 months.

7. Build compound projects—6 months.

4.1 Schematics and electronics

For courses in electronics, this is the first stage for the formation of a home laboratory through the study of work with breadboards, electronic components, and a minimum set of the necessary equipment in the form of a multimeter (tester to test electronic circuits and simple components).

This course introduces students to the practical application of simple components—buttons, LEDs, simple logic components of electronic circuits, resistors, diodes, and capacitors. In this course, students learn how to build circuits on a real breadboard.

At the end of the course, students acquire screwdrivers, wire cutters, a breadboard, a set of connectors, and a small set of electronic components for use in future projects.

In addition, students become familiar with typical phenomena such as contact bouncing, possible open circuits, and gain an understanding of some circuit engineering principles. It should be noted that some resources on programming Arduino-based devices are flawed in terms of circuitry. It is at the initial stage that it is important to give a proper understanding of the circuitry solutions. For example, the correct connection of buttons and simple sensors, etc.

The cost of purchasing equipment at this stage ranges on average from $40 to $80, and this cost can be reduced to $20 when purchasing in bulk and forming sets for trainees by course. Examples of possible equipment at this stage are shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3.

The first set of equipment.

Also, note that all projects should be based on a low-voltage power supply, ideally 5 V. This aspect is important for project safety reasons; besides, low-voltage components usually do not require special certification for use in the educational process.

4.2 Programming of microcontrollers

This module contains two optional courses: programming of Arduino microcontrollers in C is considered as a basic course, and Raspberry programming as a course of choice for a more advanced audience, taking into account the installation of the necessary libraries and familiarity with the operating systems of the Linux family.

At the same time, the study of the operation of microcontrollers can take place on real equipment (purchased based on the results of the previous module, including with a set of sensors), and in a virtual environment [23] to reduce the cost of training. As a virtual environment, we used TinkerCad system (Figure 4) from Autodesk, which is distributed free of charge and only requires an Internet connection and account in the Autodesk ecosystem.

Figure 4.

Example of assembling and testing a circuit in TinkerCad.

The course structure is the following:

1. Introduction to microcontrollers and their architecture;

2. Programming the microcontroller for simple tasks;

3. Working with general-purpose input/output (GPIO) using the example of simple and programmable sensors (for example, color sensor);

4. Introduction to microcomputers.

The result of training in this module is a virtual prototype and a program of a simple typical electronic device. In this case, the circuits can be checked in TinkerCad and on emulators of the specified devices.

After debugging circuits on the virtual simulator, students receive the appropriate controller in the form of the following set of equipment for debugging projects. Based on the results of circuit assembly on the breadboard using the controller, short videos are filmed, demonstrating the operation of a particular circuit with the logic of operation. These videos are evaluated by Peer Review in the MOOC learning system.

The main feature of projects at this stage is the expansion of the creative component, which allows students to create models of devices and implement students’ own logic in completing the final assignment of the course.

As part of this course, students additionally receive a set of mechanisms to actuate mechanical systems—motors, servo mechanisms. This is important for the next stages of training, where an understanding of the principles of servomechanisms and their use in the construction of mechanical devices is required.

4.3 3D design software

The next course in the program is aimed at developing spatial thinking skills and acquaintance with various ways of representing models of real objects in the form of a 3D prototype. An important point in teaching a variety of software from the didactic point of view is not to lose the interest of students, because very often, while studying a tool (in this case, specific computer-aided design (CAD) packages), the purpose for which it is used in the future is lost: designing real objects.

The course structure implies:

1. Choosing an idea for designing an object: for this, students are introduced to existing objects that can be found using search engines, for example, yeggi.com, thingiverse.com, make-3d.ru, and other similar resources;

2. Familiarity with CAD programs: preferably at least two different CAD programs to show the differences and common features of these packages;

3. Design of the selected part: taking into account the capabilities of various CAD programs and the subsequent placement of this model on the resources for 3D models (selection of the most popular project as an element of the competition);

4. Designing an assembly of several parts: to get acquainted with the basics of mechanics, and assemblies can be stationary (for example, stationary parts of an object made in different colors).

We used various software for training. So, from the proprietary CAD packages, SolidWorks from Dassault Systemes, Fusion 360 CAD/сomputer-aided manufacturing (CAM) from Autodesk, and NX CAD from Siemens should be distinguished. The specified software requires the purchase of educational licenses; however, these packages are used for professional product development and acquaintance with them is the most interesting for further training at the university. As of May 1, 2021, the approximate license prices for this software are:

• DS SolidWorks – $120 / year;

• Autodesk Fusion 360 CAD / CAM - one year for free for educational use, then $495 / year;

• Siemens NX CAD – 1400 $ / year (can vary widely).

Based on the pricing policy, we chose SolidWorks package, because the duration of the training program is more than 2 years, and the possibilities and approaches in modeling for all three solutions are relatively similar. In any case, the training program must include at least one proprietary package.

At the same time, free software is being trained. We have chosen two packages for training FreeCAD and OpenSCAD. The first allows getting acquainted with the installation of additional modules and workbenches (for example, for the design of gears), and the second with parametric geometry, which is important for the design of products with complex shapes.

All of the above three CAD programs should be selected depending on the projects and a small task is given for each of them. As a rule, programming skills are required to use OpenSCAD, but due to the fact that many schools are already learning Python as the main programming language, this does not cause problems for trained students.

An important point in organizing training is the need to borrow ready-made 3D models of objects to reduce the time for developing projects. For this purpose, it is necessary to use portals on which models of frequently used devices are assembled (electronics, typical housing parts, fasteners, drives, etc.). Examples of a few of them are the following: grabcad.com, 3dcontentcentral.com (Dassault systems), b2b.partcommunity.com, traceparts.com, etc.

During training, attention should be paid to interchangeability issues, since at the last stage of the project (assembly and testing), difficulties may arise caused by the use of 3D models of the same objects from different suppliers, but with minor changes. It is important when assembling several parts to use at least one standard (purchased) component and pay special attention to the issues of matching the model in the library of standard products and the model from a specific supplier (for example, specific manufacturer on AliExpress).

For example, the popular SG90 servo used in many simple projects can vary significantly from manufacturer to manufacturer, so it is important to study the change management process before ordering parts from suppliers or when sourcing components and evaluating project logistics. At the same time, students acquire the skills of making engineering decisions close to the real process of manufacturing products.

As an example, Figure 5 shows a subtle problem: one of the projects used a servomotor, but the location of the mounting holes in the model was offset from the servomotor received from the supplier by 4 mm, which did not allow placing servomotors and led to the need to redesign body part. Similar examples can be used to acquaint students with real problems of interchangeability, when the supplied object may partially not correspond to the drawing or 3D model found in standard libraries.

Figure 5.

Mounting holes on the bracket for servo MG966R.

To reduce the complexity of checking simulation tasks, we use generators of standard parts and check based on checking the position of the center of mass and moments of inertia of products, which will significantly reduce the complexity of checking the modeling tasks.

This course can be combined in time with a course on how to assemble your own 3D printer from a DIY Kit, as it takes a lot of time and involves logistical difficulties in delivering large components, even in disassembled form. The next course is just about getting a 3D printer and learning the basics of FDM technology.

4.4 FDM technology for 3D printing at home

After mastering the simulation programs, the next step is to get acquainted with the peculiarities of production technologies for specific products. For these purposes, the currently cheapest FDM printing technology has been selected. At the same time, there are a large number of DIY 3D printers that are not difficult to assemble from a kit. For deeper preparation, it is better to use such a kit, but there are faster solutions (pre-assembled compact printers). In this case, the decision must be made by the student.

As an example, Figure 6 shows a DIY Kit 3D printer with a 100x100x100mm print field for $100. In principle, this is enough to do simple projects and print cases for Arduino (69x53mm) and Raspberry Pi (85x56mm) controllers.

Figure 6.

3D-printer DIY Kit example (Easy Tread).

Nevertheless, we recommend to use models with bigger print areas. In this case, everything is determined by the budget of the project. The optimal printing area of 200x200x200mm allows students to implement more interesting technical projects.

Based on the above, the course agenda will consist of the following sections:

1. Acquaintance with FDM printing technology—what are the main technological parameters that affect the quality, what are possible defects;

2. Device of 3D printers: various kinematic schemes of printers and their capabilities;

3. Slicer programs: familiarity with at least two programs, for example, Repetier-Host (overview 4 slicers) and Cura (emphasis on working in this program);

4. Questions of model strength and refinement of its geometry for 3D printing;

5. Independent practice of printing three models (differ in settings) and assembling them into a product.

During training, it is important to focus on issues related to setting up the printer, for example, setting high speeds of movement and checking the compliance of the production time of the product in the slicer and in reality (to explain the discrepancies by the limitations of the printer on maximum accelerations, etc.). In the case of using printers based on Arduino, a small additional material is possible: an excursion into the settings of the printer program for the more advanced part of the students.

In this module, it is also possible to automatically check tasks, for example, ready-made G-code programs in terms of temperatures and dimensions of the final product when using the same specifications.

This course supplements the home laboratory with a means of production—a 3D printer. At the same time in the course, it is important to consider safety issues when working with the equipment. Some parts of the 3D printer get very hot—nozzle and heating bed. Therefore, it is especially important to explain safety procedures to the students when changing the filament, cleaning the nozzle, and during the printing process. It is also important not to leave the printer unattended during the printing process, as it is not uncommon for cheap DIY Kit to have various kinds of emergencies that are not accounted for in the most popular firmware projects. For example: filament breakage (if the Kit does not contain a filament sensor), nozzle clogging, workpiece detachment from the bed, and other critical situations.

4.5 Mechanical systems

The next module of the program is designed to acquaint students with the design of mechanical objects without electronic components and their assembly. Moreover, the emphasis is placed precisely on the assembly of end products with mechanically moving parts.

Typical practical tasks include designing products with dimensions (maximum for one dimension) of 95 mm, which eliminates shrinkage and allows for easy production on a home 3D printer made of PLA plastic. It is possible to use ABS plastic, but then a large number of additional technological issues arise (primarily due to the shrinkage of materials). The course content is the following:

1. Flat mechanisms: assembly of a simple lever mechanism (lambda mechanism, mechanisms of walking machines, etc.);

2. Cam mechanisms: for example, designing and assembling a laser show on a cam mechanism [24] (Figure 7) or similar projects;

3. Gears: assembly of a simple gear mechanism;

4. Mechanism design.

Figure 7.

Mechanical design example (need to design two cams to get 2D curve).

Assembly technologies and structural elements of assemblies: discussion of various methods of fastening and the formation of typical elements (hinges, guides, etc., as well as assembly of large products from small parts with a given accuracy—introduction to dimensional chains).

There are a large number of mechanism designs on 3D printing portals for amateurs. To perform the final project, students are given full freedom of action—It is determined only that it should be a mechanism with moving parts. At the end of the project, a video report is uploaded into the MOOC system, that demonstrates how the mechanism works. These video reports can also be evaluated by Peer Review.

4.6 Cost management

The main aim of this course is to design objects with purchased components, taking into account the logistics of supplies and the cost of the project.

After getting acquainted with the technological features of product design, it is necessary to get acquainted with the design of more complex objects, as well as prepare the basis for mastering further courses, where projects and practical activities will require ordering additional purchased components within the project budget.

This course is not related to the development of design skills, but it is aimed at developing an understanding of the features of the implementation of technical projects. Contents of this module are the following:

1. Fundamentals of project management: Gantt chart, rolling planning, critical path of the project, Agile practices, and time management;

2. Calculation of the cost of the project with all the components and the logistics of project supplies (Figure 8);

3. Lean manufacturing: for example, loading equipment in the production of certain components in an amount of more than two;

4. Risk management: tracking the progress of the project and correcting in case of changes;

5. Formation of a purchase on the example of a typical project for the complex project.

Figure 8.

Example of calculating the student project cost.

This course will allow in the future to more rationally plan the work on the project and will allow customizing the set of electronic components for the subsequent course (reduce the cost of the training program for the student in case of successful procurement). At the same time, controllers, fasteners, and peripherals (sensors, motors, encoders, etc.) are purchased.

It should be noted that when organizing self-purchase, students make many mistakes: up to not receiving the desired components, so it is recommended to use services with buyer protection (like Aliexpress, eBay, Avito, etc.) to reduce risks. The experience of conducting such a course has shown that students are not ready to plan the purchase on their own, so we always need to have a ready-made kit for the further implementation of the program.

4.7 Build compound projects

The final module of the program is the implementation of our own project, taking into account the previously studied modules. This part of the program is implemented in the form of consulting support from the leading teachers and mentors of the program on a mutually beneficial basis. Mentors from manufacturing companies receive promising future students or employees to implement their projects.

The cost of the final project is not limited, but all costs for its implementation are borne by the student. Proceeding from this, it is quite simply a formalized scheme for the implementation of the project as a reporting work.

A competition for final projects is mandatory with the receipt of appropriate awards in the form of educational subsidies or preferences for admission to higher educational institutions. The final projects can be robotic products (Figure 9) and simpler objects. A mandatory requirement is the presence of moving parts with a control system, which allows developing skills in the design of rather complex systems. Moreover, the project can be at any of the stages of implementation, because according to preliminary experience in the implementation of project work, only 15% of projects can be collected and fully implemented by students independently. Nevertheless, there must be a complete description of all subsequent stages of the project, including procurement logistics.

Figure 9.

Example of the final project in the form of robot.

To assemble the final project usually requires additional equipment in the form of a soldering station (average cost $50–$100) and consumables. At the same time for those who will use soldering as an assembly technology, there is a small variation course on this technology, because it is important to understand its capabilities used components for device assembly (flux, solder paste, work with soldering station, temperature profiles of components, etc.). Among other things, when working with soldering equipment it is obligatory to follow safety procedures, to ventilate the room and to protect the eyes.

Based on the proposals made for the implementation of the program, the cost of hardware and software in the program will be $ 800 for 2 years, including consumables for the implementation of project activities (which remain in the possession of the student).

With a constant contingent of students of about 100 people, the cost of a subscription to such an educational program can range from $50 to $140 per month, taking into account the provision of the student with all consumables within each of the modules, with the exception of the assembly of composite projects, when the price of the project can vary widely. The economic calculation takes into account the costs of program teachers, network infrastructure support, updating course content, and checking assignments. The final cost will be determined by the tax legislation of the country in which the program is being implemented and other factors [25]. Nevertheless, the subscription model is the most promising for this educational product.

Such programs, without the support of engineering and product development organizations, are very difficult to implement. Therefore, one of the important criteria for economic success is the participation of mentors from these organizations in the implementation of the last module of the program and the corresponding Public Relations promotion among potential consumers.

5. Peer review techniques and project contests as a method for evaluating MOOC activity

The main challenge for the MOOC format is a qualitative assessment of student achievement. In mass training, it is difficult to use a large number of mentors to assess the quality of project work and provide effective feedback on completed assignments. Therefore, the personal work of mentors is mostly applied either on the basis of additional payment for their time by the students or only for the best students selected on the basis of given criteria.

The most effective method for assessing a large number of creative assignments is Peer Review, but it has its drawbacks—the level of assessment is determined by the average level of student achievement in the course. To eliminate this disadvantage, we propose to use a blended assessment approach. In the first stage, the projects are evaluated by voting based on the Peer Review approach, and in the second stage, the best projects receive detailed feedback from mentors and recommendations. This allows a rational use of the course mentors’ time and to focus on the most interesting and creative students.

The experience of completing projects and recording videos to cross-evaluate them among course attendees has shown students’ interest in this type of activity. Figure 10 shows excerpts from a video presentation of projects from one of the courses in the programming curriculum, where students learn object-oriented programming (OOP) in a game form using the Kerbal Space Program game and the KSPython and kRPC libraries of the Python language.

Figure 10.

Example of a software project presentation in the Kerbal space program.

At the end of the training, each student writes a presentation of his/her project, simulating one of the famous space missions: the first flight of Gagarin, the flight to the Moon, the flight to Pluto, the flights to comets, small bodies of the Solar System, etc. This allows not only to acquaint students with the history of astronautics and the basics of space mechanics but also to learn OOP in the process of writing a program to control space objects.

It can be used as free software for screen recording and video editing, as well as paid amateur software, for example: Logitech capture, Movavi Screen Recorder, OBS Studio, Faststone Capture, UVScreenCamera, Fraps, Bandicam, CamStudio, iSpring Free Cam, HyperCam, GifCam, etc.

In addition to the basic modules, we necessarily include a module on the presentation of their projects. As a rule, this is a small video lecture with examples of project presentations and links to popular projects in their program area.

6. Conclusion

The presented approach to MOOC development with the inclusion of practical work on the basis of home laboratory formation was tested at the training program for applicants of the Moscow Aviation Institute. The structure of the equipment makes it possible to create a basis for further project work of students and the implementation of technical projects based on CDIO technology. At the same time, digital twins are used in the program to get acquainted with the equipment, which is later replaced by real home lab objects.

Presumably with the cheapening of the considered technologies more and more technical MOOCs will be implemented with a practical component. At the same time, having their own equipment allows students to plan their time rationally and creates a platform for technical creativity.

Exposure to logistical issues in project execution provides a wealth of experience in cost management. In doing so, students begin to understand how to manage alternatives in engineering.

The developed program and composition of the home laboratory equipment closes the issues of teaching 3D modeling, construction, and basics of electronic device design. Similar programs can be developed for other areas of applied knowledge. However, it is important to take into account interdisciplinary links in this kind of program and the sequence of mastering technology from simple to complex.