The rise of immediacy culture, emphasizing instant gratification, has led to students disengaging from taking ownership of their learning, fostering passive environments. This study addresses the issue by building students' confidence in autonomous learning through strategies that cultivate intrinsic motivation. The research aimed to assess students' motivationconfidence and satisfaction-in self-directed learning. An activity was implemented in a sophomore-level Statistics and Experimental Design (DOE) course to promote student-led learning. Teams of 4-5 engineering students designed trivia video games using Game Builder Garage (GBG) on the Nintendo Switch (NS) over one week. These games, featuring DOE-based questions, were intended to help peers prepare for the final exam. Each student generated 10 questions throughout the course, with teams selecting the best ten for their games. The activity culminated in a peer-reviewed competition and a live trivia match. Student motivation was evaluated using an adapted version of Keller's IMMS questionnaire in a PRE-POST experimental design ($\mathrm{n}=55$) analyzed via paired t-tests (5 % confidence level). The findings indicated a marked improvement in confidence, while satisfaction remained unchanged. Both confidence and satisfaction are two of the four dimensions of motivation outlined in Keller's ARCS model, which forms the basis for the Keller's IMMS questionnaire used in this study. This gamification approach-having students create, not just play, educational games-fostered ownership, engagement, and responsibility, enhancing confidence in learning independently, even in technical subjects like DOE.

The wrist joint plays a crucial role in daily activities, but various conditions can compromise its functionality, impacting an individual’s quality of life. Robot-assisted therapy is emerging as a promising solution for rehabilitation, aiming to enhance human motor skills training through personalized therapies and precise movement measurements. Herein, a study was conducted, thereby validating the BiomechWrist, a robotic device designed for wrist rehab and motor-skills training. Data was obtained from a motion capture system and the device’s encoders. A methodology, based on kinematics of rigid bodies, was used to compute the active range of movement (AROM) for the three degrees of freedom of the wrist. The decrease in AROM computed for the device was lower than 10% for all of the degrees of freedom. The accuracy of the device in the measurement of the angles was also assessed, resulting in an deviation lower than 10%, a deviation which is adequate for the target applications. The conducted tests suggest that the device meets the functional acceptability criteria while providing effective assistance to facilitate patient recovery. The outcomes highlight the advantages of the wrist training device as a complementary tool in the rehabilitation process for both patients and healthcare professionals.

Traditionally, research and scientific endeavors have predominantly involved graduate students, often sidelining participation of undergraduate students. However, integrating under-graduate students into leading cutting-edge projects significantly enhances their academic experience and professional growth. This manuscript delves into the case study of Conscious Technologies, an innovative research group comprising the Campus City initiative and the IUCRC International BRAIN Affiliate Site at Tecnologico de Monterrey. The group's focus encompasses smart city solutions, computer vision, robotic operating systems, neuroengineering, biometry, and biomechanics, all powered by artificial intelligence. The group efficiently manages a diverse array of projects by employing methodologies such as agile project management and a progressive-phased research approach, which leads to beneficial outcomes for all stakeholders. Undergraduate students gain hands-on experience, increasing their prospects for admission into prestigious graduate programs abroad, while at the same time, research professors expand their international presence through impactful publications. High research output gradually fosters collaboration, including exchanges and stays abroad, further catalyzing the centre's growth. By tackling real-world challenges within a well-structured framework, supplemented with intrinsic and extrinsic rewards and regular meetings, students enjoy autonomy within guided projects, culminating in the publication of 26 scientific works over a span of three years.

A Challenge based Learning (CBL) activity, with the participation of an industry partner, regarding automotive design for undergraduate engineering students is presented. During an academic semester, senior students in an specialization course became familiar with technical aspects regarding electric vehicles (EV) and learned about battery pack sizing and motor sizing as well. Students worked on a challenging case study to convert a VW Type 1 sedan with an internal combustion engine (ICE) into an EV. The work done by the students involved real-data, simulations, cost analysis, 3D scanning, multiple CAD design iterations, and manufacturing processes. The achieved outcomes of the case were: an improved dynamic behavior and more sym-metrical weight distribution compared with the original vehicle, as well as a comparable power and energy delivery were also achieved at a lower cost compared with commercial conversion solutions. These results are evidence of the skills developed by the students as the CBL activity was developed and shows a promising project option for engineering students. It is observed how challenging students through a motivating situation that demands their intellectual curiosity, seeking to solve problems of global interest, and focusing on an application in their area of expertise, contributes to their professional development. This is an option for future final capstone projects in engineering.

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way education is delivered, and because of this problem, challenges and new needs have arisen that have led us to adapt the way we teach and evaluate. In this context, much work has been done to bring students learning experiences in new modalities to safeguard the well-being of all its participants. Virtual reality in engineering education plays an important role because students can acquire the concepts, knowledge, skills, and competencies more completely through immersive, multi-sensory, and credible environments arising as a flexible resource to improve engineering education in a post covid era.The use of virtual reality in the teaching-learning process is an innovation in teaching didactics and constitutes a very important opportunity to guarantee quality in the training of future engineering students. In parallel, the technological advances brought about by the industrial revolution that is taking place have increased the levels of complexity in terms of cost, product design, innovation, implementation, performance evaluation, to name a few.