Abstract:

Defense University Center (CUD), located in Marin (Pontevedra, Spain) is attached to the University of Vigo and reports directly to the Ministry of Defence. Since 2010 teaches the degree in Mechanical Engineering as part of the teaching activity received by officers of the Spanish Army. Teaching methodology is conditioned by the characteristics of the training center, with a total of 80 students per course, organized into two theoretical groups (40), 4 groups of laboratory (20) and 8 seminar groups (10) for reinforcement activities and review with the presence of the teacher.

Taken into account the uniqueness and distinct formation of this center, this degree lasts five academic years. Currently being taught for the first time the fourth year of the five.

We are referring in this article to the subject Machines and Naval Engines, intensification "General Body", so the number of students is reduced to 58 students divided into 7 groups of seminar.

The problem we have tried to deal with refers to a lack of interest and motivation for those students who attend these seminars. This situation is especially relevant in a subject of a strong, mostly descriptive theoretical content.
This article shows first how the content of the subject has been adapted to temporality (a seminar every two weeks), so that these seminars keep thematic uniformity and interest.

On the other hand, although they share a common base, a detailed description of each of the sessions of workshops that have been carried out in the scope of this article, including the features and nuances that distinguish them. Particular focus will be done on the dynamics and temporal distribution of each of the activities undertaken by the student in each of the sessions.

Finally, both the evaluation method and the results are described and analyzed, taken into account the point of view of the teacher and also the one of the pupil, always with the scope of the implementation of improvements in future courses.

All the experiences and teaching techniques shown in this article as well as those arising hereafter are made under a common base that include a background of "motivation", allowing an improvement in student outcomes.

Keywords:

Educational planning, teaching innovation, mechanical engineering, collaborative learning.