{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,9]],"date-time":"2026-10-09T17:58:26Z","timestamp":1791568706063,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":19,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,9]],"date-time":"2026-10-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791504000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100010814","name":"Anhui Provincial Department of Education","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2023jyxm0891"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2023jyxm0891"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100010814","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100018628","name":"Scientific Research Foundation of Education Department of Anhui Province of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2025AHGXZK30741"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2025AHGXZK30741"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100018628","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Bridging the gap between theory and practice remains a persistent challenge in engineering education, especially in complex, algorithm-heavy courses like intelligent control. In such contexts, students often know the abstract concepts but struggle to turn them into workable engineering solutions. Outcome-Based Education (OBE), which focuses on what students can do, offers a promising way forward. However, detailed evidence on how well OBE works at the individual course level in technically demanding fields is still limited. In this quasi-experimental, mixed-methods study, we redesigned an undergraduate intelligent control course around OBE principles, using constructive alignment together with project-based and case-based learning. We compared an intervention cohort (n\u2009=\u200997) with a historical control cohort (n\u2009=\u200989) who had taken the same course the previous year under traditional lectures. Quantitative results from pre- and post-course surveys, exams, and project scores showed meaningful gains for the intervention group across several areas: learning engagement (t\u2009=\u20099.87, p\u2009&lt;\u2009.001, d\u2009=\u20091.28), practical application skills (t\u2009=\u200913.21, p\u2009&lt;\u2009.001, d\u2009=\u20091.73), innovation abilities (t\u2009=\u200912.88, p\u2009&lt;\u2009.001, d\u2009=\u20091.68), final exam scores (84.2 vs. 76.5, p\u2009&lt;\u2009.001, d\u2009=\u20090.89), and perceived career relevance (t\u2009=\u200911.34, p\u2009&lt;\u2009.001, d\u2009=\u20091.62). Student feedback further suggested that hands-on projects and regular feedback helped make abstract theories feel concrete and connected to real engineering work. Because we used a historical control group and changed several instructional elements simultaneously, these findings point to a strong positive association rather than definitive cause and effect. Even so, they suggest that a thoughtfully implemented, constructively aligned OBE reform can help build key competencies and bridge theory and practice in advanced science, technology, engineering, and mathematics courses.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0358558","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,9]],"date-time":"2026-10-09T17:35:05Z","timestamp":1791567305000},"page":"e0358558","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Enhancing engineering competencies through Outcome-based Education: A mixed-methods study in an intelligent control course"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"given":"Jing","family":"Yang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Anhui Sanlian University","place":["Hefei, China"],"department":["Faculty of Engineering"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9060-7305","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Zhenqing","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Shanghai for Science and Technology","place":["Shanghai, China"],"department":["School of Optical-Electrical and Computer Engineering"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yoshinori","family":"Yamaguchi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Waseda University","place":["Tokyo, Japan"],"department":["Comprehensive Research Organization"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0358558.ref001","volume-title":"Teaching and learning STEM: A practical guide","author":"RM Felder","year":"2024"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0358558.ref002","first-page":"1","article-title":"Active student engagement in online STEM classes: Approaches and recommendations","volume":"8","author":"M Prince","year":"2020","journal-title":"Advances in Engineering Education"},{"key":"pone.0358558.ref003","volume-title":"Feedback systems: an introduction for scientists and engineers","author":"KJ \u00c5str\u00f6m","year":"2021"},{"key":"pone.0358558.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ktoridou D, Eteokleous N. 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