Learning through robotics competitions: Japanese university program recognized for engineering education
Developed over more than 15 years, the program gives students opportunities to tackle engineering challenges, learn from setbacks, and build teamwork and problem-solving skills.
image: Diagram illustrating how Okayama University of Science's robotics competition-based curriculum develops
Credit: Okayama University of Science
For more than 15 years, students at Okayama University of Science (OUS) in Japan have been learning engineering through robotics competitions. From building their first robots with unfamiliar teammates to overcoming technical problems and meeting deadlines, students develop core employability and professional skills through creative engineering Project-Based Learning (PBL). This approach was recognized with a 2024 Engineering Education Award from the Japanese Society for Engineering Education (JSEE).
The award was presented in the Achievements category at the 29th Engineering Education Awards ceremony on August 27, 2025, during JSEE's annual conference at Kyoto University. Professor Tetsuya Akagi accepted the award on behalf of OUS's Faculty of Information Science and Engineering. It was the university's first Engineering Education Award.
The curriculum introduces students to robotics competitions in their first year. All first-year students in the faculty participate, while second- and third-year students can continue through courses that prioritize students in relevant specialized programs but are also open to other interested students in the faculty.
First-year students begin by forming teams with classmates they may not know. As they learn to design and build robots for competition, they are encouraged to become more willing to take on unfamiliar challenges.
In their second and third years, the focus extends beyond competition rankings. Students must collaborate to overcome technical difficulties, improve their designs, and complete their robots by set deadlines. The courses are structured to give students who encounter setbacks in earlier years opportunities to try again, making repeated problem-solving an integral part of the learning process.
OUS also reports that students who have completed this robotics education program show markedly higher rates of submitting research papers as first authors and presenting at international conferences. The university identifies these outcomes as evidence of the program's educational impact, although comparative figures were not provided in the original announcement.
Professor Akagi welcomed the recognition of the faculty's long-standing efforts.
"I am extremely pleased that the hands-on engineering education developed over many years by our robotics and mechatronics faculty members has been recognized," he said. "This award shows that the students who have taken these robotics competition courses have been recognized for developing essential skills for professional life. I hope it will further motivate our students."