Abstract:

In the last years, Spanish universities' teaching methodologies are being adapted to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) developing in this way a range of skills on the students based on abilities they will need in the short term.

On the one hand, as a group of teachers coming from a degree in Fine Arts, but teaching in a scientific degree we have to face new challenges trying to introduce humanism aspects into the specific world of an engineer in industrial design. We want to foment fundamental aspects of art as the development of intellectual activities such as creating or interpreting, encouraging self-expression and perceptive student qualities.

If we consider that a product of engineering has to be built and enjoyed by human beings, this will require the work of a designer capable of infusing a differentiating touch to the technique, i.e. a human dimension. In this way we propose a methodology based on "learning by doing", making tangible products and bringing them into real world.

On the other hand we propose a collaborative and Problem-based learning challenge working together with engineers so as to deal with technical problems the students will have to face. It is a constant feed-back between students and teachers in an environment where all the proposals are heard.

Year after year we have been proposing as a final work in the subject of "Basic Design", the realisation of a sculpture (generally dealing with nature in the way of obtaining curved shapes) made only with recycled cardboard triangles. They will learn how an object made with this figure can support the volume and structure, be aesthetic and last for months.

The greatest exponent of this proposal, among others, has been the realization of a tyrannosaurus rex made of cardboard, 13 meters long by 7 meters high, that also served as the stage for a fashion show. Drawing the whole process and the final object are a way of thinking and solving in a different way an engineering problem.. All the students working together with other teachers, not related to the subject they were attending, and with university maintenance staff is the best expression of a collaborative work.

As was lapsing the course students were motivating increasingly looking how their work was exposed to all the academic community and to all the persons from the neighbourhood who wanted to gaze at it. The result of assessment working with this methodology improved highly, rising their enthusiasm, their commitment in order to obtain better results and a recognition of the job well done.

Keywords:

Learning by doing, art and science, art and engineering, art and design, collaborative work.