Abstract:

This work aims to compare the learning results obtained by several groups of engineering students after the implementation of several innovative teaching techniques, in order to assess potential improvement in the skills acquisition. To perform this comparison, the evolution of the marks obtained by students in two subjects from the 2016/2017 to 2022/2023 is assessed and contextualized with the introduction of flip teaching and gamification in practical lessons in large groups of first-year engineering degree university students. This analysis also includes a comparison with a subject in which neither of these methodologies has been implemented until the 2022/2023 academic year.

The work was carried out in three subjects. Each subject had approximately 400 enrolled students: Chemistry I (CI) and Chemistry II (CII) from Energy Engineering Degree, and Graphic Design (GD) from Mining Technology Engineering Degree. The Flipped Classroom and Gamification methodologies were implemented focused on laboratory and practical sessions.

In order to achieve a better understanding of these sessions, and as a support and complement, the Flipped Classroom technique began to be used in GD and CII from 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 courses, respectively. The results were satisfactory in GD but had little impact on CII. Although watching the videos increased the students' confidence in laboratory lessons (CII) and solved most of the students’ doubts (poll carried out in 2018), these learning improvements did not show a clear effect on student marks.

In the last course (2021/2022), Gamification was introduced through Wooclap quizzes done in class in GD and CII, combined in the latter with the Flipped Classroom methodology. The aim was to improve practical teaching and active student work through innovative digital content, motivating them, using these contents as a training and enhancing the acquisition of knowledge. The results showed that those who had done the Wooclap for each laboratory session obtained, on average, better marks in the exam of the corresponding session. In addition, a survey reflected that the majority of the students had studied the lab guidelines, some of them the theory lessons before answering the quizzes, and also most of them had watched the corresponding video before the lab session. This result suggests that Gamification is a significant motivation factor that increases the students' learning process

Keywords:

Wooclap, flip teaching, large groups, gamification, laboratory sessions, engineering students, practical sessions.