Abstract:

The present document analyses the different improvements achieved by means of a methodology based on the creativity and generation of requirements by the students throughout their learning process, in subjects such as design in engineering graphics, and more specifically in topographic engineering. The aim of this methodology is to increase the attention span of the student by means of the generation of requirements through the learning process. These requirements are created by the teacher and carried out by the students by means of creative projects, developed by means of simulated real working processes.
In the past, the traditional way of teaching was where the teacher gave the students the convenient knowledge used in the learning process. It was carried out by means of master classes and sets of posed problems and exercises that the students had to resolve. In this kind of learning the students were observed as passive agents who always resolved the proposed exercises in a similar way. The current methodology has changed their role in order to develop better and more active tasks in the learning process.
At the beginning of the semester some basic knowledge designed to improve the students´ basic capabilities should be given by means of some scheduled exercises. Nevertheless, after this initial phase some projects are proposed for groups of three components at most. This improves not only the students´ creativity, but also the demand for new tools to achieve the goals of the project. These tools will be taught at the precise moment when the students demand them, at the time when they will be more receptive to the knowledge.
The creativity level and the quality of the projects obtained compared to the ones developed in past courses ratify a better involvement of the students with the work. The greater number of questions directed at the teacher, the students´ own work and the increased attention in class have allowed the high level issues raised during the learning process to be resolved.

Keywords:

Creativity, Innovation, Industrial Design, Collaborative work, CAD.