Abstract:

We present an innovation project focused on the implementation of a self-paced methodology in the basic electronics laboratory with the intention of improving the adaptation, understanding and interest of first year students of Telecommunication Technology Engineering in the subject of Circuit Analysis. The methodology of the project aimed at the Design of a laboratory program adapted to the self-paced methodology, enhancing the theoretical-experimental connection of the contents of the course and with the evaluation of the individualized progress of the students’ laboratory work after each laboratory session, seeking to detect possible deficiencies in the pace or resources of the work and providing further support to those students who need it.

The implementation of the project has been successful and has allowed to intensify the students' skills and practical knowledge A comparative study of the academic results obtained by the students in the laboratory tasks during the academic year 2021-22, i.e. the academic year prior to the implementation of the teaching innovation project, versus those obtained during the academic year 2022-23, when the teaching innovation project was implemented, has been realized. The statistics were carried out on a population of 114 students in the 2021-22 academic year and 94 students in the 2022-23 academic year. It is worth highlighting the significant improvement in the grades in the maximum grade range (9,10], which have gone from 11% to 41%, after the application of the teaching innovation project. Likewise, the percentage of students in the high-grade range (8.10] has increased from 39% to 57%. Finally, no student who has opted for the continuous evaluation method, and therefore has been subject to the implementation of the project, has failed, compared to 8.7% who did not pass the laboratory in the 2021-22 course. The implementation of the project has therefore allowed a significant improvement in the development of the practical competence of the students, directly improving their grades.

The personal experience of the students involved in the implementation of the project has been evaluated through a survey, which is collected below in its average valuation. The population of students who participated in the survey was 94. The maximum was 10 and the minimum rating was 0. It is remarkable the good evaluation of central aspects of the project, such as for example:

The self-paced learning spirit of the project which has been valued under the heading "I value positively the possibility of advancing at my own pace, without preset sessions for each practice" with an average evaluation of 8.44/10, evidencing the good reception that this methodology has among the new students. Equally satisfactory are the evaluation of the interaction with the lecturer, more agile and personalized in this methodology ("The interaction with the teacher in the laboratory is adequate and useful" -- 8.82/10).

Keywords:

Self-paced learning, laboratory lectures, engineering degrees, circuit theory.