Abstract:

Active methodologies are becoming now particularly relevant in the teaching-learning context marked by the Europe convergence process (Bologna). One of such active methodologies is project oriented learning. By the application of this methodology, students undertake a project in group to solve a certain problem which includes different stages like information search, planning, alternative assessment and design or final resolution. Some advantages of this methodology are the possibility to acquire professional working skills, the development of self-learning, decision making and the improvement of motivation since the projects are applied to specific situations very similar to professional practice. For all these reasons, project oriented learning has been applied in “Advanced Experimentation”, an annual subject of fourth year in the degree of Chemical Engineering.

In this subject, students complete a design of an industrial facility using the data obtained in the laboratory experiments conducted in parallel. Besides the study of industrial process, students should consider other multidisciplinary aspects in the design such as waste management and industrial safety.

During the project development, tutorials conducted by lecturers are esential to get satisfactory results. In these tutorials, each lecturer guides students in the development of the project and monitorizes the evolution of working group throughout the course. Tutorials are organized in different parts for better coordination and for sharing the workload. Tutorials for each practical are undertaken by the teacher who has taught the laboratory session; tutorials of the overall project structure are shared among all teachers trying to have the same number of groups; finally, each teacher is responsible of tutoring one relevant sections of the project (design, waste management and industrial safety).

In order to improve and make more effective tutorial work, this academic year, lecturers have systematized the collection of data from the evolution and development of tutorials. Lecturers have recorded the number of tutorials per group, the approximate time spent in each tutorial, and the distribution of tutorials along the semester for each group. On the other hand, teachers have designed an assessment survey about tutoring that students will complete at the end of each semester. In this paper, we analyse the results about tutorials of the first semester of course 2011-12, both in terms of tutoring development and student evaluation.

Keywords:

Project oriented learning, experimentation, Chemical Engineering, tutorials, evaluation.