Abstract:

In the European Higher Education Area (EEES) framework, mechanisms for teaching coordination are required. Thus, horizontal and vertical coordination strategies between different subjects/courses must be developed. Moreover, masters and degrees are involved in an accreditation program in accordance with the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area and its coordination mechanisms effectiveness are evaluated.

Below this EEES scenario, an inter-departmental collaborative and coordinated working group has been created. The working group aims have been to implant subject’s coordination. The pilot experience has been performed in the Industrial Design Engineering and Product Development School (Universitat Politècnica de Valencia). The subjects coordinated are ‘Workshop on Prototypes and Models’ and ‘Ergonomics', Assigned to Dept. of Drawing and Dept. of Engineering Projects, respectively.

A project-based learning approach to improve the current teaching and learning methodologies, which are frequently focused on acquiring competences from a single subject, have been implemented. The project developed consist in a console controller prototype. Before the experience, each subject developed its own product prototype under its specific requirements. Since coordination, only one prototype is designed by the students. Nevertheless, coordinated prototype include not only specifications from Workshop on Prototypes and Models subject but also anthropometrics criteria from Ergonomics subject. This coordinated learning scenario allows students to acquire complex knowledge to apply in further realistic products design.

This article describes the teaching collaborative experience in the development of a common project from its coordination point of view. Likewise, results obtained in the first year of its implementation, and future lines of work are presented.

Keywords:

Project-based learning, horizontal coordination, prototype design project, transversal.