Abstract:

Our learning methodology consisted of proposing to students the solution to a real problem that they may find in their professional life. The challenge was the resolution of a specific construction problem of our school building, for example: construction damage, incorrect adaptation to current regulations, improvement of sustainability, etc. The chosen construction problem was treated like students were employees in a company and a client hired them to resolve it. To promote teaching transversality, each of the subjects contributed to the project with a student who would be the expert in that area of knowledge. Regarding this, the experience was articulated through groups of students from different subjects, even from different years, who would have to work together. The result would have the entire documentation to implement the project, since it could be presented to the Dean, and even be built. In such a way that the learning and service methodology is also included.

The main aim was to face students to a real job, a scenario like the one that will be in their work, in this way to motivate them since they will have a visible and noticeable result. Also promote interdisciplinarity, as well as transversal and vertical coordination, not only within the same degree, but also in degrees that have complementary skills: building engineering, architecture, or business management. As secondary aims, it was wanted students to learn to manage and organize work both in person and virtually. As well, the assumption of responsibilities in front of a group, if one of them does not work the project will not finish, and society because they can improve their environment.

The Project has been organized in several steps: work proposal and organization in groups, development of it with sessions and tutorials and, finally, presentations of the work. Once the experience was finished, satisfaction surveys have been developed and the results have been analyzed. This article shows the complete organization of the experience, collecting the activities and resources that have been used and the results and analysis of the surveys.

Conclusions showed that students were highly motivated since they had a useful goal and they felt confident to get it; they were also proud since they have seen their work reflected in a final document of great quality. It has been difficult to handle and integrate collaborative activities since different schedules of the students did not make it possible. Finally, a high percentage of students wish to repeat the experience and even propose that it could become a subject within the degree curriculum.

Keywords:

Challenge, multidisciplinary, professional reality, learning and service, methodology.