Abstract: Cultivating high-quality application-oriented PLC talents is a comprehensive strategy involving the optimization and improvement of various aspects, such as curriculum design and textbook selection, investment in teaching and internship equipment, theoretical, experimental and practical teaching, performance evaluation mechanism, on-campus learning and off-campus training, and pre-graduation learning and post-graduation application. Only by achieving coordinated optimization in all aspects can high-quality application-oriented PLC talents be cultivated.
Keywords: Collaborative learning, interest-based learning, self-directed learning, efficiency
Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) are characterized by their compact structure, flexible and convenient hardware configuration, high reliability, strong anti-interference capabilities, and ease of learning and use. They have become widely used as automation control devices across various industries. The course "PLC Principles and Applications" has become a broadly applicable professional course in engineering colleges. How to cultivate high-quality, application-oriented PLC professionals has become a focus of attention for society, schools, teachers, and parents. Based on years of teaching practice, I offer the following suggestions for improving and coordinating the various factors influencing PLC talent cultivation:
I. Investment in Teaching and Practical Training Equipment. In the practical teaching of PLC courses, knowledge of mechanics, electrical engineering, electronics, hydraulics, pneumatics, and computers should be organically linked with PLC technology. The proportion of practical training hours should be increased, and investment in relevant school equipment should be gradually increased to establish a relatively complete PLC technology simulation training room. This will create favorable conditions for practical training in "PLC simulation project development." Teaching practice has proven that only through practical training in PLC simulation projects, allowing students to personally program, actually wire, and simulate and debug, and analyze and improve problems encountered during operation, can students' innovative thinking and comprehensive professional abilities be truly cultivated. This will ultimately achieve the teaching goal of enabling students to "work directly in the field of PLC technology application" after graduation.
II. Theoretical, Experimental, and Practical Training. The primary task of any course teaching activity is to stimulate students' interest in learning. Similarly, stimulating students' interest in PLC teaching is not difficult. The important thing is to let students continuously improve and experience the joy of success, so as to maintain their strong interest.
1. The primary task of theoretical lessons is to make students understand what a PLC is, what it can do, and how to use it. Teachers can use a simple, illustrative example (such as continuous motor control) for a complete explanation, operation, and demonstration. This will allow students to first understand that a PLC control system includes a main circuit and a control circuit. The external hardware wiring and internal software programming of the PLC are merely two basic aspects of the control circuit. This will give students a holistic understanding of the structure and operation of a PLC control system. Based on this foundation, further explanations of the external hardware wiring and internal software programming can be provided. This facilitates students' comparison with relay contactor control systems, enabling them to grasp the overall structure of the course, clarify the central task of the course, and thus gain motivation for learning.
Multimedia teaching methods should be used in theoretical classes. Various computer technologies should be employed to create electronic courseware, primarily PowerPoint presentations. Multimedia technology, with its vivid and engaging visuals and pleasant music, can attract students' attention, stimulate their interest in learning, and improve teaching efficiency. For PLC external wiring (including main circuit wiring), the schematic diagram should be explained first. Assembly diagrams and actual wiring diagrams should be explained in conjunction with experiments, practical training, and internships. Students should understand the differences and connections between the schematic diagrams in the classroom, the wiring in experiments, and the wiring in practical training and internships. Students should be taught to effectively connect theory with practice, using theory to guide practice and practice to verify theory.
Currently popular Mitsubishi PLC programming software includes FXGP_WIN-C and GXDeveloper. FXGP_WIN-C lacks simulation functionality, making it less intuitive in theoretical instruction. GXDeveloper, however, with the addition of GXSimulator6-C, provides simulation capabilities. Using simulation in the explanation of programming devices, instructions, and examples enhances intuitiveness and facilitates student understanding. For certain program verification and writing, students can complete tasks directly in the school computer lab using the software's simulation function without going to the laboratory. This enhances students' self-learning ability, increases their interest in learning, and improves learning efficiency. Theoretical and experimental teaching can be conducted simultaneously without students entering the laboratory, greatly improving the teaching effectiveness for teachers and the comprehension and acceptance abilities of students.
2. Experiments, practical training, and computer lab sessions can adopt a self-directed learning approach. Self-directed learning is a learning method where learners, under the macro-control of overall teaching objectives and with the guidance of teachers, freely choose learning goals, content, and methods based on their own conditions and needs, and achieve specific learning goals through self-regulated learning activities. Self-directed learning cannot be separated from timely guidance and evaluation from teachers. Only with timely assistance from teachers can students continuously complete one experiment and practical training project after another, gaining increasing sense of accomplishment and increasing their motivation for self-directed learning, thus ensuring the healthy development of this approach. Teachers must also, in conjunction with the progress of theoretical courses and experimental training equipment, compile experimental training guides that progress from simple to complex, gradually increasing in difficulty, and catering to students of different levels, providing strong theoretical support for students' self-directed learning.
3. Comprehensive practical training is the most important component of the PLC course. Sufficient time must be allocated for it, and the efficiency of the training must be improved while taking into account individual student differences. During the training, the principle of "those who are capable should do more, and everyone should improve together" should be followed. Students should be grouped according to their individual differences, and each group should choose training content with different control requirements based on their own abilities. Based on the control requirements, they should then perform programming, debugging, fault diagnosis, and troubleshooting. This method flexibly solves the problem of mutual constraints arising from differences in student abilities, while also cultivating students' abilities in division of labor and teamwork.
III. Performance Evaluation Mechanism. It should be clear that performance evaluation is not the ultimate goal of teaching; rather, it should serve as a method to motivate student learning. Performance evaluation should be timely, fair, and practical. 1. Theoretical performance evaluation includes written exam scores, class participation scores, and experimental scores. Written exams, conducted through open-book or closed-book methods, assess students' mastery of basic PLC knowledge. Class participation scores are evaluated based on the quality of independently completed assignments, class attendance, problem-solving abilities in class, and innovative methods. 2. Experimental and practical training performance evaluation should reflect a competitive mechanism, with two scenarios based on different task requirements: First, scores are awarded based on completion speed while ensuring quality; second, scores are awarded based on completion quality while ensuring a unified time limit. Teachers will only score each team based on completion quality or speed. Each team member's score will be determined through democratic evaluation within the team, based on a score given by the teacher. This promotes the enthusiasm and initiative of each team member and cultivates students' teamwork spirit.
IV. On-Campus Learning and Off-Campus Training. There is still a certain difference or gap between the PLC knowledge and skills students learn in school and the PLC control systems they encounter in actual work. After graduation, students will inevitably encounter some difficult problems in their jobs. Therefore, schools and teachers need to continue to strengthen guidance for students during their work process, creating typical case studies to explain solutions to these problems to current students. This also serves as a valuable accumulation of experience for students. After graduation, students should continuously communicate with school teachers and consult with experienced mentors to master the design and application of PLC control systems.
In conclusion, only by optimizing the above-mentioned aspects can schools truly cultivate high-quality, application-oriented PLC talents.
References:
[1] Guo Xingjun. Approaches and methods for cultivating students' innovative abilities in experimental teaching [J]. Laboratory Research and Exploration, 2000, 19(1)40. [2] Wu Xiaofeng. How to teach the new curriculum - teaching art and practice, Shenyang Publishing House. [3] Meng Xianglin. Teaching models, teacher and student roles and teaching efficiency [J]. China Vocational and Technical Education, 2004, (14).
