Application of web technologies in automation technology education

Automation is an interdisciplinary technology. It covers design, material, electric, automatic control, electronic, optical and so on. Hands-on experiences in automation technology education are typically provided through laboratories and expert's experience. However, laboratories require a high investment in both equipment and instructor time, and expert's experience is often limited. The objectives of this paper is to develop an e-learning system to teach automation technology and engage students in real-world applications to positively impact student motivation and conceptual understanding of automation engineering. To achieve these objectives, the course model is designed based on functional design approaches. The principle of manufacturing features and group technology are applied to develop learning strategy to improve student's practice ability on the process planning. Learning of process parameters are designed to use virtual reality as a tool that integrates the fundamental concepts of design, analysis, and manufacturing. The developed virtual hands-on laboratories are added to online education that can be manipulated remotely.