Abstract:

Project-based learning (PBL) is a teaching methodology that encourages students to work in teams for the development of a project capable of solving engineering problems. In this educational frame, they assume different roles within the project, search and exchange technical information and learn how to do it, as the same time as they do it. At the end of the project, they demonstrate how it works. For ensuring a deep learning, the project must be designed, implemented and operated by well-trained students, for which teaching materials such as multimedia files, online demonstrations and manuals must be wisely prepared by the teachers.

This work reports the deploy of an educational innovation project, Arduino-PBL-on-CE, based on the use of Arduino microcontrollers to enhance the development of teamwork and technological capabilities skills on chemical engineering (CE) students. This experience is focussed on the students of second semester of the third course of CE degree in the subject “Experimentation in Chemical Engineering II (ECE 2)”. This subject has essentially lab sessions, which allows the implementation of hand-on work and comprises 5 laboratory working blocks, in which students develop and implement their knowledge in “Chemical Reaction Engineering” and “Unit Operations”. In this proposal, the students have worked in pairs to design and, subsequently, build an automated version of the laboratory setups using non-expensive Arduino kits, which consists of easy-to-use sensors and actuators, in the framework of PBL methodology. The methodology has allowed to increase design-related and programming skills of the students, in addition to high levels of satisfaction in the final evaluation report.

Keywords:

Arduino, Project-based-learning, Chemical Engineering Laboratory, Cdio.