Abstract:

Undergraduate studies in science and engineering require extensive contact with industrial realities. The industrial visit could be regarded as a strategic educational resource as well as an effective method for bringing students closer to the industrial sector. Through this activity, they have the opportunity to gain an understanding of the business structure, internal activities, infrastructure, processes, facilities, equipment, process management systems, along with environmental and hygiene protocol. As a result of this activity, students can identify future professional vocations as well as establish connections between the theoretical knowledge they acquire, and the activity developed by the company. This approach offers a complementary alternative to traditional university teaching methods.

The student should become familiar with the activities of the companies and the processes that they perform. Therefore, to align the subjects with modern teaching methodologies in the industrial visits, a methodology based on the flipped classroom concept has been developed. This paper describes the planning of industrial visit within the context of an undergraduate on science and engineering course, with a special focus on the use of web-based technologies, videos and collaborative learning strategies, as well as the final assessment of the experience. Under the guidance of the lecturer, students should read the supporting material provided, carry out all the activities included in the online teaching platform (Moovi) and search for complementary information in preparation for the visit. Finally, for the activity to be successful, the level of involvement of the companies and the resources they provide are of vital importance. For this reason, the lecturer holds several meetings with the industry staff in order to obtain the information and prepare the activities to the students.

Several objectives are achieved by incorporating the flipped classroom methodology into the industrial visit, including: i) a greater understanding of the industry's activity, ii) a greater interaction between students and industry; and iii) a greater interest of students in visiting the industry. Students are asked to complete a survey at the end of the course to measure their perception of the experience, and the results support the usefulness of the application of this methodology.

Keywords:

Flipped classroom, engineering undergraduate studies, industrial visit.