(928) A PILOT BASED ON A PROCESS OF IMMERSION OF 1ST YEAR ACADEMIC STUDENTS IN A PROBLEM-BASED METHODOLOGY, DEALING WITH A REAL INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENT, AND USING AN E-LEARNING PLATFORM

摘要

After some academic courses imparting Computer Technology with master classes, we decided toimplement a new methodology based on new technologies, both in the learning process andassessment tests. The aim was to compare the results with those of previous years and to verify thehypothesis that "the new model should decrease the level of anxiety and increase both motivation andinterest in the subject.”The pilot is based on a process of immersion of the student into a problem-based methodologydealing with a real industrial environment. The project is aimed at students of 1st year computerengineering (his first year of contact with the university). Relevant aspects of the experience are: 1)Students advance according to their learning ability, finding their way into various levels of difficulty.This prevents the lack of motivation that causes overcrowded theoretical classes. 2) Curriculumsubjects as diverse as, for instance, multiplexing or sensors integration, are gradually acquired inparallel. 3) Every student has access to different levels of help and can step back when it deemsappropriate. 4) Evaluation process is also carried on using computers with biweekly checks. Alongeach test the student is aware of the score obtained at any moment. It is a process of competition withoneself.It is widely known and accepted that factors such as motivation and anxiety affect learning, promotingor limiting it depending on the level of individual involvement. Anxiety decreases the ability toconcentrate and limit student skills under stress and / or pressure situations. This directly affects theiracademic performance. The reduction of anxiety increases gradually motivation and academicperformance, so learning is substantially improved.Given the crucial role of those factors in the learning process, our experience has shown how the useof the developed methodology minimizes anxiety and promotes motivation and learning accordingly.The positive evolution of these parameters is quadratic over time, although it has reached saturationafter the sixth or seventh week. We obtained these conclusions by comparing the results of previousyears (using traditional teaching methods) address these new methodologies.In conclusion, the experience provides results that reinforce the hypothesis that in the individualimmersion in an industrial problem, and taking advantage of the possibility of learning at differentindividual speed, the emotional response of tension is reduced, even eliminated, and increasesinversely with the motivation and interest in the study. These effects lead to improved grades andlearning.