Abstract:

This teaching innovation project aims to develop a collaborative pool of business-technical study-cases to be applied in different university degrees and subjects. The obtained result is the application of a case-based learning method for a multidisciplinary problem-solving addressed principally to the architecture and engineering students and to the students of economics and business administration.

The Project has been carried out in two phases:
a) Development of a collaborative pool of business-technical study-cases to be applied in different university grades and subjects
b) Development of a matrix of transversal-skills and specific-skills shared between subjects for the implementation of practical activities.

The multidisciplinary detailed description of study cases of companies allows students to appreciate both aspects: organization and technology. As a novelty, the application of a multidisciplinary pool of business and technical cases to different subjects of engineering and business administration degrees offers an innovative working methodology according to which teachers from different areas of knowledge can develop collaboratively the same teaching materials to be used by students.

The application of this case-based learning method is carried out starting from the “Core Modules” of common descriptions of companies through which all the students of different subjects appreciate general aspects of main business conditions and the general technology aspects related to each case to foster the transversal competences and the multidisciplinary problem-solving skills. The pool of cases is published in both, a printed book format and an on-line free electronic format to be available to all students.

The method is complemented by “Specific Modules” where more detailed information for each subject is elaborated to meet the specific learning objectives and so they can be used as teaching material independently on each subject. Each “Specific Module” is designed to develop specific skills in a particular subject through Annexes.

Four study-cases have been already elaborated focused on companies of the following sectors: Energy, Transports and Logistics, Wine and agriculture, Building sector. This collaborative activity represents an interesting teaching innovation because it can be modularly developed so the materials can be applied alone or integrated in a multidisciplinary activity jointly with students of different disciplines in the line of constructivist pedagogy model.

Keywords:

Case-based learning, Problem-solving method, Multidisciplinary, Teaching innovation.