Abstract:

Currently, it is very common to have tough theoretical university subjects in some degrees. Engineering, however, often involves both practical and theoretical courses, in which the later is presented as a lecture in the classroom whilst the former is followed-up by the same or a different supervisor. Nevertheless, it is frequently not enough to have an experience or, in other words, an experimental seminar in order to learn. In fact, the lack of reflecting on the experience might suppose the short-term forgetfulness of the work done.
Nonetheless, if the aforementioned is wanted to be avoided, the learner must plan an action linked to the theoretical part, carry it out and, finally, observe the result and relate it with the theory (G. Gibbs, 1998). If this is correctly done, the “learning by doing” method will work in the corresponding way. In 1984, D.A. Kolb proposed a model of the four stages involved in this methodology, namely the experiential learning cycle. The learner can start the cycle at any stage, but all of them must follow this sequence: Abstract Conceptualization, Active Experimentation, Concrete Experience, Reflective Observation.

The aim of this project was to make flow the experiential learning cycle within the students of the subject “Chemical Principles of Engineering”, supported by new technologies and gaming learning. With this aim, some student groups were selected for the analysis of one of the laboratory practices. These groups had to meet and discuss the results obtained, promoting team work competences at the same time. The reports of each practice were presented as written works, slides and videos, and were all of them exposed orally in front of the rest of the students. After each presentation, the groups quizzed their colleagues employing an online application in order to make sure they all had understood the development of the practice, the theoretical bases and, of course, make all reflect about the results.

At the end of the course, a written test was made to the students and compared with the results obtained by the students from the previous academic years in order to evaluate the effect of the employed methodology.

Keywords:

Experiential learning, experimental subjects, gaming learning, new technologies, reflective learning.