Abstract:

Project-Based Learning (PBL) is a very useful methodology for students' self-learning. Employing more than one teaching methodology in the same subject, as for example flipped classroom, results in an even more powerful tool for the self-learning process of students. Nevertheless, the inculcation of ethical aspects and critical thinking (about what is being done) in students is as important as the learning process itself, which makes it necessary to find new strategies to incorporate them into the classroom. The use of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is one possible tool to advance in such a strategy and together with the PBL and flipped learning, it is an extraordinary combination. These competences worked on in the classroom are materialised in a complex task (project) that should comprise the learning outcomes to be evaluated in their different competency levels.

The project was designed for Industrial Engineering Master Students at the Faculty of Engineering in Bilbao (Spain), more precisely within the course of Chemical Process Design, which belongs to the knowledge area of Chemical Engineering. This project has been applied to four groups in the 2022-2023 course, having 170 students in total. In the project, students have to design and simulate a real industrial process in the chemical engineering area, using an industrial chemical process simulator, such as Aspen Plus.

The implementation of active methodologies has been carried out in this subject sequentially and course after course. This has allowed the teaching team to learn and improve over the years, until reaching the latest implementation, which is been to incorporate the SDGs. The first implementation was the PBL together with the project and it was observed that it had a motivating effect for the students as it involved the design of a real process, and analysing environmental problems. The next incorporation was the flipped classroom methodology, which improved the quality of the project as it facilitated a deeper understanding of the chemical process simulator. Finally, the introduction of the SDGs promoted the design of more sustainable processes, with greater technical requirements to meet the goals. The combination of these three ingredients has allowed the students a deeper acquisition of the learning outcomes.

Keywords:

Project Based Learning, Flipped Classrooms, Sustainable Development Goals, Motivating Effect, Chemical Engineering.