Abstract:

One of the most important challenges in teaching innovation at a higher level is the predisposition to incorporate new teaching-learning practices as well as the inclusion of tools based on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT's). Therefore, Flipped-classroom (FC) methodology, quite new in engineering education at a higher level, has been evaluated with the participation of students enrolled in two subjects: "Control and Instrumentation of Chemical Processes" and "Chemical Engineering" for two different Degrees: Industrial Chemical Engineering and Energy Resources Engineering, respectively, both taught at the University of Jaén (UJA) during the academic years 2020-2021 and 2021-2022. In this sense, gamification techniques could increase the motivation of students to achieve basic, specific and complementary competencies, more than just only acquiring training content, included in the corresponding teaching guides for undergraduate studies. The teaching methodologies used to promote the autonomous and active learning of students have been as follows: 1) Peer Instruction (PI) + Concept Test (CT); 2) Just in Time Teaching (JITT) and 3) Team based learning (TBL) involving Project-Based Learning (PBL). Educational techniques such as: instructional lectures, presentations and exhibitions, exercises and problems solving, laboratory practices, seminars and discussions have been used in class, for selected blocks of contents, so didactic materials have been appropriately developed for the inverted teaching sessions. Different methodological aspects of FC methodology, including comparative evaluations with respect to the master class methodology, as well as the suitability of the developed materials (commented videos, assess tests, solved problems, laboratory practice scripts, diagnostic test, content presentations, etc.) have been evaluated by the students by means of on-line questionnaires. Although the traditional methodology based on lectures by the teacher in the classroom and out-of-class homework is quite well valued as a general teaching strategy (8.1 over 10), the use of FC methodology is even better valued by students (9.2 over 10) who obtained better qualifications in the considered subjects with respect to previous academic years.

Keywords:

Flipped-classroom, Chemical Engineering, gamification.