Resumen de Assessing the Project Based Learning methodology in Materials Science courses within an inter-university educational network
Luis Cabedo Mas, María Teresa Guraya Diez, Pablo López Crespo, M. Royo, José Gámez Pérez, M. Segarra, M. L. Moliner
One of the peculiarities of the present Information and Communication Society is its complexity and changing character. Within this new model of society, our education systems require a substantial change in their goals and practices. Thus it is necessary for teachers and lecturers to adapt to this reality and propose changes on one of the key elements of the curriculum: a methodology in which the student must be the real axis of university education and the teacher a mediator or guide the process. Among the methods that facilitate this transition, the Project Based Learning (PBL) allows learning different basic and/or specific skills, such as interdisciplinary teamwork, personal relationships, ethical commitment or critical thinking. In this paper, we present a proposal for educational innovation based on PBL methodology. The methodology isdeveloped with the aim of analyzing its viability in core Materials Sciencecoursesin different Engineering degrees in Spain. Specifically, it presents a PBL experience carried out simultaneously by lecturers and professors of Materials Science in four Spanish public universities. The subject of the PBL has been tailored for each curriculum. The results show that this methodology arouses more interest among students than the traditional methodology, while allowing transversal competences to be developed as well as providing a new way to evaluate them.
