Abstract:

The new globalized scenario of interconnection, technological advances and paradigmatic changes forces reconsidering and adapting teaching/learning strategies to address highly complex global problems. In this way, for example, the elderly, a growing age group around the world with specific demands associated to their biopsychosocial changes, needs to be addressed using an interdisciplinary approach.

This article presents the experience of a User Centered Design Workshop [UCD], based on the interdisciplinary approach. Its goal was to solve problems for the elderly in the Biobio Region. Challenge Based Learning (CBL) was applied, combining knowledge and skills of students from different health and industrial design degree schemes.

Its process involved three stages:
1) understanding the phenomenon,
2) defining the work focus and
3) generating a design proposal.

The 43 students that took part, first made a diagnosis, before then concentrating on developing a product destined to help a specific problematic situation of independent elderly people, before finally, answering a questionnaire to evaluate the activity.

The results of the interdisciplinary experience were positive for every one of them, in terms of the activity, group coordination and group work. In this way, by integrating CBL and interdisciplinary work, the development of innovative competences in the young people, their understanding of the real needs of the elderly and of elements related to the creation and innovation of new products could be seen.

Keywords:

Learning Strategy, CBL, Interdisciplinary, Health, Elderly.