Teaching CNC programming and machine handling online

Distance education must be concrete and realistic

When the government issued its recommendation on 17 March to close the upper secondary school’s teaching premises, the introductory course in computer-controlled production 1, basic CNC, had just started at Västervik’s upper secondary school. Petter Hedqvist and his colleagues in the work team thought about what they should do with practical teaching. Students must become accustomed to machines and learn to program computer systems that control workshop machines used in industrial production. They tried to make distance education concrete and realistic.

“I teach synchronously on the course via video calls on two occasions each week. In the first lesson, I give a theoretical review, where I sit at my desk and go through how to program a CNC machine. In the other one, I have set up the webcam at the machine to show the students what I am doing. I first enter the program code and then run the processing code in the machine.”

“After each review, I give students theoretical assignments that they must work with on their own and then submit to the learning platform. It is a graded course, so it is important to ensure a proper assessment basis,” says Petter Hedqvist.

“Of course, there is a risk of cheating, and I can use the service Urkund to check that the students have not just cut and pasted. But otherwise, I see no problem with the students using the Internet and information from elsewhere when solving the tasks, as long as they state the sources.”

Distance education has worked well - but it is not enough

Petter Hedqvist thinks that the teaching has worked well according to the circumstances. The students get as close as possible without standing physically at the machine. He has also received a positive response from the students, with whom he continually has a dialogue about the approach. Together, they have agreed that the teaching would go, which he believes is a compelling reason it all went well.

“It is entirely possible to run a lot of the teaching at a distance with the software that is available today. We must think creatively and try to make the best of the situation. But of course, it is not only possible to do this. We will train professionals with handling skills, and students can only get that if they stand by the machine and work with it in practice. We can not skip that.”

The manufacturing industry is becoming increasingly digital

“It is an advantage that students learn to work digitally, since this is increasingly the case in the production industry today. In the last ten years, there has been a lot of talk about Industry 4.0 and smart factories, where all equipment is digitally connected. It places higher demands on industrial companies and educators. The machines are developing at least as fast as smartphones, and the school must take this into account in its operations,” says Petter Hedqvist.

“We provide students with basic education for their future professional life, but we naturally address the ongoing technical changes with the students. It demands of us teachers that we are on the alert and keeps up with what is happening. The development also means increased knowledge requirements for the students. Industrial companies need employees with good theoretical knowledge, not least in mathematics, Swedish and English. Not all students who start with us are prepared for that, but we have worked with primary schools, so they know what applies.”

The teaching has already been digitalised - it gave us a shorter runway

“There has been a rejuvenation among the teachers in the industrial engineering programme in recent years. The older tribe of teachers has retired and been replaced by younger teachers who grew up with the digital development,” says Petter Hedqvist.

“For several years, we have consciously worked to digitise teaching. Curricula, course content, lesson plans and assignments have long been digital, and the learning platform and computer are a natural part of everyday life for students. When the pandemic broke out, and we had to teach at a distance, the starting distance was therefore short in our work team, and among the students.”

In year three, the students were granted a dispensation and have been able to be at school in small groups to do tasks requiring them to be on site and access the workshop. Exceptions have also been made for a few students who have had difficulty coping with teaching independently and, therefore, asked to attend school.

Workplace training and practical teaching have been postponed

The most significant change during the spring has been that the students in grades 1 and 2 have primarily worked with the character subjects’ theoretical content. The practical steps have been postponed, and the hope is that they can catch up on the reasonable steps this autumn. In year two, their workplace training was interrupted during the spring, as many companies reduced their external contacts.

“What it will be like after the summer, no one knows, even though the government has said that the upper secondary schools can open their premises on 15 June, says Petter Hedqvist.

“Right now, we are discussing these issues with the management team. What should we do if students can not get workplace training at the local companies next school year? It is about many hours, and it is an important part of education. According to the regulations, workplace training may not be conducted within the school’s framework. Still, the National Agency for Education recently said it might be allowed during the pandemic if there are no other alternatives. We can decide locally, and use the National Agency for Education as a sounding board, to ensure that we follow regulations and governing documents.”

Double planning for the next school year is required

If the teaching may have to continue to be conducted at a distance this autumn, it may also be relevant to change the schedule. The common subjects can be scheduled during the autumn so that practical teaching can be conducted full time if the school can reopen after the turn of the year.

“Right now, a lot of time is spent planning for the next school year, both for the regular teaching, which hopefully can then be conducted again and for a distance teaching. The uncertainty means that double planning is required,” says Petter Hedqvist.

“The better prepared we are, the fewer surprises we will hopefully get this autumn. We handle the students to give them the best possible education, regardless of whether they are at school or at home. Therefore, we must be creative and brainstorm ideas and try to develop solutions that work satisfactorily. Students should not suffer if the pandemic continues.“

This article was originally written for the collaborative project Skola Hemma.