Abstract:

“Rivers” is a transversal subject in several university degrees and master studies, which deal with it from different perspectives. In the era of climate change, rivers are also of tremendous public concern and are the focus of a variety of scientific research projects that continuously provide new knowledge on the field. Consequently, promoting the connection between scientific research and education on rivers guarantees both an updated and motivated teaching. In this study we make use of the recently built Greenchannel facilities (i.e., which imitates a life sized small river) to research with a selection of students from three different engineering degrees somehow related to rivers (i.e., Forestry, Agricultural and Civil engineering students from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid). The students were assigned independent research activities related to their respective field of study but ultimately part of a common overall scientific goal and were guided by professors. This multidisciplinary approach allows each student to deepen into one specific aspect, but being the complementary aspects (deeply addressed by the other students) available. Compared to the others, we verified that students who were approached to science showed a broader and more consolidated knowledge on rivers.

We attribute this result to the fact that this experience:
(1) made the students themselves protagonists of an original teaching-learning process predisposing them in a positive way and,
(2) highlighted the transversality and real-world applicability of the acquired knowledge.

These students are encouraged to transform these research activities into their bachelor and master thesis.

Keywords:

Linking research and education, multidisciplinary, transversal, Forestry, Agriculture, Civil Engineering, undergraduate, postgraduate.