Abstract:

Recent advances in engineering pedagogy highlight the relevance of active learning methodologies to engage students in constructing knowledge through experimentation, reflection, and collaboration. In this context, rapid technological progress and the growing accessibility of interactive digital tools have created opportunities to redefine learning environments and bridge the gap between theory and practice.

This study presents an educational innovation project that integrates a physical scale model with interactive gamified resources, proposing a powerful pedagogical strategy for engineering education. The project is implemented within the Fundamentals of Environmental Technology course at the University of Jaén (Spain), a transversal subject to all Industrial Engineering degree programmes. The course represents a key curricular space for developing both technical and transversal competencies by addressing topics related to environmental pollution and the technologies required to mitigate industrial impacts, including the design and operation of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs).

The goal of the project is to develop, implement, and evaluate an active, gamified learning methodology for teaching wastewater treatment processes in undergraduate engineering education. The proposed activity combines hands-on exploration of a WWTP scale model with digital interactivity via tablets, aiming to transform traditional passive instruction into an active, experiential learning process. A series of short interactive games has been designed on the Genially platform, each corresponding to a specific stage of the wastewater treatment process. Students become the protagonists of the learning experience as they solve conceptual questions and challenges related to each process step. Correct answers allow them to progress to the next stage, while incorrect responses impose a short time penalty. This structure creates a competitive yet collaborative environment, where small teams work together to be the first to complete the whole treatment sequence successfully.

To assess the effectiveness of the proposed methodology, data will be collected over two academic years through a quasi-experimental design including control and experimental groups. The evaluation will combine quantitative and qualitative approaches to measure conceptual understanding, motivation, and engagement, allowing comparison with traditional teaching methods.

Preliminary feedback and early observations suggest that such hybrid learning environments foster not only deeper conceptual understanding but also higher levels of motivation and engagement, as well as the development of essential professional competencies. The central hypothesis to be tested during two academic years is that students who learn through participation, collaboration, and gamified competition are likely to exhibit greater knowledge retention, improved critical thinking, and enhanced ability to apply concepts in practical contexts.

The scalability and adaptability of this model make it a potentially transferable approach transferable across technical disciplines and educational contexts. Ultimately, this initiative offers a promising model to enrich the learning experience in engineering by suggesting that the thoughtful integration of physical models and gamified digital tools can transform complex technical content into a dynamic, collaborative, and purpose-driven approach that enriches the teaching–learning process.

Keywords:

Active learning, Gamification, Engineering education, Scale model, Wastewater treatment.