January 2021 | ISE Magazine 35
As industrial engineers, we are problem-solvers ex-
pected to develop a wide range of skills to help im-
prove processes and systems. With the COVID-19
pandemic, many of the problems require minimiz-
ing human intervention through process digitaliza-
tion and automation.
Process automation has always been an area of growth be-
coming even more relevant during the pandemic. For more
than 35 years, a strong curriculum component in this area at
the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of
Puerto Rico-Mayaguez (UPRM) requires students to learn
about circuits, electronics and process automation.
This process automation course (ININ 4057) translates
theoretical knowledge into practice. In this course, we are ex-
pected to build an automated process prototype (link.iise.org/
uprm_video3; see other video links on Page 37) with minimal
human intervention through the integration of Fishertechnik
building blocks, a controller, sensors and actuators. The au-
tomation laboratory at UPRM contains materials and equip-
ment to promote hands-on learning experiences. The materi-
als in the lab include Fishertechnik building blocks, sensors
(photoelectric, inductive, phototransistors, limit switches,
etc.), actuators (motors, lights, buzzers, electromagnets, etc.)
power supplies and a robust pneumatic system.
With the spring 2020 semester interrupted in March by a
lockdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we won-
dered how we would be able to substitute a completely hands-
on experience into a virtual environment. We could not work
at the lab; materials were not enough to take a kit home (with
projects traditionally being done in groups of three) and the
software verification and validation seemed almost impossible.
During these unprecedented times, we needed to be creative,
have an open mind and positive attitude to make the best out
of the situation.
A
Transforming hands-on to a virtual
learning experience
Puerto Rico-Mayaguez students adapt to online lab work
By Kevin Jay Kaufman-Ortiz, Victoria Wang-Mora and Lourdes A. Medina
An example
of a project:
an automated
process
prototype
created prior to
the pandemic
shutdown.
Photos courtesy of the authors
36 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine
Transforming hands-on to a virtual learning experience
As we retell our story, it is
our responsibility to highlight
that this is a bilateral perspec-
tive that may not fully represent
everyone’s individual circum-
stances. We decided to write
from the lens of how we turned
this historical experience into
an opportunity of growth.
When the quarantine started,
educators faced the challenge of
having to pivot mid-semester
and readjust instructional plans
to fit this new reality. They
had to learn new technologies
within days and create months’
worth of content in just a few
weeks. In our case, we were
lucky we had learned how to
work with several sensors and
actuators before the pandemic
started. Thankfully, the topics
we had yet to cover were most-
ly different programming tech-
niques, such as with a programmable logic controller (PLC)
using ladder logic, grafcets and pneumonic code. Once these
were discussed remotely, they were complemented by hands-
on laboratory exercises. The challenge came with the project.
There was no physical process nor PLC to implement the
project and fully debug the software. After acquiring the foun-
dation knowledge, all that was left was to substitute the class’
final project with a virtual experience. We had to employ our
creativity and find online sources to make possible a virtual
mock-up as you can see in Figure 1.
Animated 3D drawings of the process were made with
Sketchup and PowerPoint while detailed circuit drawings
were completed in a diversity of programs. We were able to
write the program in the PLC software through a virtual pri-
vate network (VPN) connection to the automation lab. How-
ever, creativity was needed to develop a troubleshooting plan
in which scenario ideation and process mock-ups (computer-
ized and physical) allowed us to verify the model in terms of
having the necessary components (sensors and actuators) and
the correct software.
FIGURE 1
The virtual version
The model created by Kevin Jay Kaufman-Ortiz in the virtual experience is seen at left; at right is the connection of actuators of the model to
the programmable logic controller in the virtual experience.
Students Ednan Barbosa (left) and Victoria Wang-Mora take part in a laboratory project at the
University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez prior to the shutdown in March 2020 by the COVID-19
pandemic.
January 2021 | ISE Magazine 37
We had the opportunity to work with an extremely dedi-
cated team. Regardless of the extraordinary challenges, the
professor and teacher assistants were able to keep the group
engaged with multiple weekly live chats and calls. They
made themselves accessible to us out of regular class and of-
fice hours. At the end of the day, this flexibility and excessive
communication was crucial to keep the momentum going
strong and maximize our learning potential.
The experience of completing an online semester was
definitely an enormous challenge for students and faculty
members. Nevertheless, we choose to look back on this se-
mester as a way to strengthen our resilience. Students were
given plenty of flexibility since they were no longer tied to
a class schedule. This reality
tested our ability to navigate
ambiguity, responsibly man-
age our time and strategically
prioritize our work.
Aside from this, many stu-
dents and faculty members
did face difficulties, including
financial hardships and emo-
tional distress that compro-
mised their well-being. To-
gether we all carried our own
weight to face this mammoth-
sized obstacle head-on, and
many of us made it through all
the way to the other side.
Overall, we believe this ex-
perience should not be taken
for granted. As an academic
community, we were forced
to implement major changes,
many of which were long
overdue. It is still hard to imagine a solution that could re-
place face-to-face interactions without compromising the
quality of our education. Nonetheless, the creativity brought
up by those committed to finishing the semester allowed us
to reach new heights in what we are all able to accomplish.
It is safe to say that this obstacle stretched the limits of every-
one’s comfort zones, pushing us to come up with innovative
ideas that will make our classroom experiences more adapt-
able for the future.
Looking ahead, we hope the University of Puerto Rico’s
students and faculty members do not look at this as a risk
management issue but rather as a wakeup call to embrace
technology and flexibility where it is relevant – not because
it is the only way to move forward, but because it is the best
we can do for those we serve. It takes courage to let go of
what no longer works. It takes integrity to reinvent ourselves
when faced with adversity.
Kevin Jay Kaufman-Ortiz is an undergraduate student in the De-
partment of Industrial Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico-
Mayaguez.
Victoria Wang-Mora is an undergraduate student in the Depart-
ment of Industrial Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico-
Mayaguez.
Lourdes A. Medina is an associate professor in the Department of
Industrial Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez.
She is an IISE member and president of the Manufacturing & De-
sign Division.
See the students’ work
For several years now, the RealTimePC Outreach Initiative
has been sharing knowledge and celebrating process
automation. As part of this initiative, in-person and virtual
open houses are made with course projects shared in
YouTube. These videos are also shared in summer camps
and a diverse range of activities. Here are links to videos
created by the UPRM student authors that give a general
explanation of their virtually created models:
• Kevin Jay Kaufman-Ortiz: link.iise.org/uprm_video1
• Victoria Wang-Mora: link.iise.org/uprm_video2
• A project before COVID-19: link.iise.org/uprm_video3
