Implementing and executing a PLC course at a German dual university using Agile/Scrum in laboratory activities

This work aims to present an account of the organization and execution of the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) course taught in 2025 at Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University Karlsruhe. This university adopts the German “dual university” model, in which all students must be affiliated with a company from the beginning of their studies. The course was delivered during the second semester of the Mechatronics program at the institution’s Faculty of Engineering. Part of the course consisted of theoretical lectures, while another part involved development and testing in the PLC laboratory. Agile/Scrum methods, derived from practical industrial experience in software development management, were adopted for carrying out programming exercises and projects in the PLC laboratory. This paper presents the method and content employed and taught in the course. Based on the data collected from the students, it was observed that the combination of theory and laboratory practice based on Agile/Scrum fosters the necessary understanding outlined in the course module goals description and prepares students to apply the subject in real industrial settings.