Abstract:

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 of the most important aspects of Bologna guidelines is the evolution of the teaching process toward a learning process, which allows students to play an active part in their own learning process.
In this paper, a pilot experience involving the application of innovative educational techniques based on cooperative learning is presented. The experience has been implemented in the subject of Ergonomics, which is taught 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).
A project was proposed consisting in applying the knowledge acquired in the theoretical classes in order to study some ergonomic characteristics of a product. More specifically, students had to include an ergonomic point of view in the design of a children’s vehicle, developing an anthropometric study and designing the dashboard, among other aspects. The work, developed in teams, complements the traditional method of evaluation of a final exam and practices.
Several didactic techniques have been considered with the aim of reproducing a learning scene where a set of interpersonal abilities must be developed in an environment that approaches the student to a real context. This initiative is addressed to reinforce the profile of skills, competences and attitudes of the new designers, such as cooperation and coordination, critical evaluation and decision-making, teamwork, responsibility, and also competitiveness between teams. The use of the new information and communication technologies have also been encouraged.
The experience is described in the paper, and key and weak points are analysed, from both the professor's and the student's point of view.

Keywords:

Ergonomics, collaborative learning, innovative educational methodologies.