Rethinking the Teaching Reform of Mechanical Control Engineering under the New Engineering Initiative

DOI: https://doi.org/10.62517/jnse.202617407

Author(s)

Bo Xu*, Xiumei Chen

Affiliation(s)

Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Beijing Information Science & Technology University, Beijing, China *Corresponding Author.

Abstract

Mechanical Control Engineering is typically taught as a sequence of mathematical procedures: students learn how to perform calculations but cannot explain or apply them. This paper explores three structural causes of the persistent divide between classroom instruction and engineering practice under China's New Engineering initiative: theory-dominated course content, limited industrial experience among instructors, and predominantly idealized laboratory simulations with little access to representative mechanical systems. A comprehensive reform framework is proposed. Course content should be reorganized around authentic problems in servo motion, robot-joint control, vibration suppression, and intelligent manufacturing; faculty development should combine industrial placements with university-industry co-teaching; and laboratory instruction should integrate simulation-based rehearsal, remote access to physical equipment, hands-on experimentation, and iterative model refinement. Assessment should likewise move away from reproducing formulas and toward case analysis, commissioning plans or performance, project outcomes, and teamwork. The framework reiterates the central logic of engineering practice: engineering problems lead to mathematical models, which are analyzed and then used to improve systems. It is designed to strengthen students' systems thinking, engineering judgment, and ability to solve complex control problems.

Keywords

New Engineering; Mechanical Control Engineering; Teaching Reform; Virtual-Physical Integration; University-Industry Collaboration

References

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