A COORDINATION EXPERIENCE FOR IMPROVING INDUSTRIAL DESIGNERS PROFILE OF COMPETENCES

The establishment of new Degrees, in the context of the European Higher Education Area, is an excellent chance for the application of innovative learning techniques. One important aspect is to achieve an environment which reflects the real need to integrate knowledge from different disciplines in order to generate a better final solution similar to as it is required in a professional context.

In this paper, a pilot experience involving the application of innovative educational techniques based on transferring disciplines is presented. The experience has been implemented in the subjects of Design Methodologies and Ergonomics, which are taught simultaneously in the third year of the studies leading to a Degree in Industrial Design and Product Development Engineering at the Universitat Jaume I (Castellón, Spain).

In the previous years, each subject proposed students to solve a different project, consisting in applying the knowledge acquired in the theoretical classes in order to develop the ability to employing general design methods and ergonomic characteristics of a product respectively. This is, students developed two independent projects, each one for one of the two subjects. The selected products for these projects were different for each subject and they also change from one year to another. However, both projects were developed in teams and presented other common characteristics. The works, complement the traditional method of evaluation of a final exam and practices.

The new initiative consists of joining the two separated projects in a single one, thus encouraging the students to develop a better product at the same time that they gain a deeper understanding about the real applications of the subjects contents. This leads to a reinforcement of the expected skills and competences of the new designers, such as critical and global analysis and synthesis of a product.
The experience is described in the paper, and key and weak points are analysed, from both the professors and the students point of view.