In industrial design (ID) education, mechanics-based courses are mainly based on a traditional lecture approach and they are highly abstract for ID students to comprehend. The existing studies highlight the requirement of a new approach for mechanics-based courses in ID departments. This study presents a combined teaching model for mechanisms mainly based on an applied teaching style and action learning to improve ID students' learning experience and competencies through promoting the transference of theoretical knowledge into practical experience and learning. The combined teaching model, consisting of three phases, was integrated into a design studio project named mechanical game design. A total of forty one sophomores taking the "Product Design II" course offered in Gazi University Department of Industrial Design during the second semester of the 2016/2017 academic year, participated in the mechanical game design project. Project observations and a post-questionnaire were employed to objectively analyse the appropriateness of the teaching model. The results indicated that the combined teaching model improved ID students' learning outcomes and competencies in terms of transferring the gained theoretical and practical knowledge into action learning.