Abstract:

The last stage in Project-Based Learning, especially in technical studies, is usually the correction of the projects performed by students. Traditionally, this correction is carried out by the teacher, following some previously established criteria and leading to some marks. In some kind of projects, like structural projects, those criteria respond both to numerical and design facts.

Structural design guidelines are neither easy to explain nor easy to learn because multiple factors must be considered. When a student reviews the work of another student he should rethink the application of the design criteria and the decision-making process. He also has to learn how a serious review methodology should be applied.

The experience described in the paper was carried out in the 5th-year undergraduate Soil Mechanics and Foundations course during the 2019–20 academic year. The course is focused on the completion of two foundation projects by the students, who were grouped into 14 teams of 3 or 4 members. The cross-review, initially planned as a final mandatory activity, was finally changed to a voluntary activity to take into account the high workload during the COVID-19 confinement. Finally, it was carried out by 53 out of 63 students.

Each project was divided into 4 thematic parts and, using the Moodle questionnaire tool, a very detailed form was prepared with both qualitative and free writing questions for each part. Each questionnaire consists of more than 100 questions, allowing a comprehensive tour of all aspects of the other group’s project. In this way, teachers can lead students into the main aspects of the project that must be taken into account.

The main objective of the cross-review activity is that the student undertakes a peer-review process when his work is delivered. In some cases, the result may be enlightening when students that haven't done very bright jobs revise a very complete and well-done project. This activity also trains the students for professional tasks such as the assessment of projects by an Office of Technical Control. A cross-review also allows the student to check how the documentation is received and understood by people different than the authors.

At the end of the course, many students assessed the activity as of positive interest and pointed out that it helped them in their training.

Keywords:

Project-based learning, review, technical project, structures, foundations.