Abstract:

A contemporary engineer should not only have a good knowledge of the theoretical basis of the technical issues he/she deals with, but should also have practical knowledge and be aware of the consequences of his/her decisions. Traditional teaching methods based on lectures, computational exercises and laboratory classes do not fully prepare graduates of technical studies to solve problems they will encounter in their future work. Acquiring practical skills and necessary competences to solve various types of complex problems requires obtaining additional, new information and often cooperation with other people representing various groups.

The goal of the article is to present the possibilities of using innovative teaching methods, including the case teaching method, in educating creative environmental engineers. Particular attention was paid to the development of cases for two courses "Knowledge of machines" and "Sustainable development in energy and waste management".

The article presents the consecutive stages of developing, planning and organizing work with the cases and the first experiences with their application. The article presents difficulties encountered but also highlights positive experiences gained during preparation and implementation of didactic activities. Attention was paid to that creating a successful cases should take into account student's background and the degree of difficulty should be carefully adjusted. Since cases usually do not have one good solution, their complexity should also be taken into account in advance. Solving the case should motivate them to work. Too high degree of difficulty will act as a deterrent. Work on solving cases should take place in appropriately selected groups so as to effectively use the potential and previous practical experience of students.

The results described in the article are a set of developed cases based on real problems encountered in engineering practice to which data was obtained from the practitioners and the industry. The use of case studies in the education process can bring benefits to both students and teachers. This form of classes enables students to develop a critical way of thinking, a multifaceted approach to the challenge they encounter and, in some cases, involve non-technical thinking. Thanks to the direct involvement of industry representatives in the creation of cases, cooperation between academic centers and industry is also strengthened.

Keywords:

Case study, Communication skills, Didactic methods