AN INTERDISCIPLINARY EXPERIENCE-BASED LEARNING (ABEX) APPROACH: A CASE REPORT ENCOMPASSING MECHANICAL ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL THERAPY UNDERGRADUATE COURSES

Abstract

This manuscript presents a case report of an interdisciplinary teaching approach that encompassed the academia and the private sector aiming at social care. The main goal consisted of allying academics and professors from Mechanical Engineering and Physical Therapy undergraduate programs for the development of assistive medical devices manufactured from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes, being these sponsored by a local company. Physical Therapy students approached the issue by tracking low-income patients from primary health care facilities, identifying their functional disabilities and providing health care assistance. Mechanical Engineering ones, on the other hand, focused on the design, structural analysis and manufacture of the devices. The methodology was framed within the so-called Experience-Based Learning (ABEx^®), which is a novel pedagogical concept that takes place in all undergraduate courses at Community University of Chapecó Region – Unochapecó. The successful results achieved, by both academic and social point of views, may motive other undergraduate courses to implement similar approach.