PBL from Real Projects and Students Initiative: a case study

Abstract

The benefits of Project Based Learning (PBL) to acquire technological knowledge as well as transversal skills by students are well known. However, the implementation of PBL requires additional efforts from teachers and students, as well as additional teaching resources when compared to traditional teaching. This paper presents a case study of a singular PBL experience developed within a subject entitled Experimental Structural Analysis. This subject had PBL already implemented. However, the paper describes a new PBL experience that was suggested by some students that were part of the Formula Student (FS) team from the University of Seville. 24 students and 2 teachers took part in this new experience. The proposed PBL introduced some new challenges in the subject. The paper describes how the subject was organized in terms of theoretical and practical lessons, tutorials and assessment (including the introduction of a novel Self Assessment Factor). The paper analyzes the results from an academic point of view and describes the benefits, difficulties, advantages and opportunities arising from a PBL approach in which students play a new role as real promoters of a real project. Results from academic scores, surveys from students and teachers' perceptions are analyzed. The percentage of students who ask the teachers of the subject to supervise their final degree project is used as a new satisfaction indicator from students. The paper shows that this PBLmethodolodogy is enriching and suitable for the learning process of most the students. However, new challenges arise such as encouraging all the students to be actually involved in the cooperative work and ensuring that the main theoretical concepts are learned. The FS competition is proven to be a good opportunity for implementing PBL based on a real project. © 2017 TEMPUS Publications.