Abstract:

The teaching-learning process can be improved by the use of the several tools available within the MOODLE platform. We have been using the platform for some years and we have found that the combination of some communication tools (mainly the forums) with the workshops is one of the best approaches to improve the teaching-learning process. In summary, some of the most difficult problems of the subject are given as homework for the students. They have to upload their solutions using the Workshop tool. The platform distributes these solutions among the students, so that each student can perform a peer review of the work presented by a fixed number of their colleagues. We have found in previous years that this process helps the students to see some different approaches to the same problem, and to learn the importance of the clearness in the exposition of the ideas and the correct use of the language. In this way they learn not only to solve the problem, but also to present a work of much better quality, easier to understand and evaluate by the teacher.

Nevertheless, along these years we have seen that it is quite frequent that the students do not consider useful the peer-reviewing work. We have tried to explore if we can improve this perception and to see if this perception could be associated with some other variables. One of the main changes with respect to previous years is the introduction of the same Workshops in the classroom, so that the peer-reviewing is performed under the supervision and suggestions of the teacher. We have evaluated the Innovative projects through anonymous polls.

In this work, we present the results of the subject “Simulation and Optimization” of the fourth year of the Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering during 2013-14 and 2014-15 academic years, which can be compared to the results of other subjects presented in other communications at this conference.

These polls have 13 questions, and the first 7 questions are related to the general features of the specific subject. Whereas that items 8 to 10 ask about the virtual workshops, and the items 11 to 13 are dealing with the classroom workshops. All questions are evaluated between 0 (absolute disagreement) and 10 points (absolute agreement).

If data is compared in the two academic years, we can see no differences in the students’ perception about the subject. In conclusion, in both years, students think that “Simulation and Optimization” is very useful for the professional life and academic knowledge. Moreover, they consider it a medium difficulty subject.

With respect to virtual workshops, students consider the peer-reviewing useful in their learning process. Students valuate the question 9 (utility of peer-review to pass the subject) with an average 6 and 6.3 in 2013-14 and 2014-15 respectively. In the same way, the classroom workshops were evaluated with an average 5.3 and 5.9 in 2013-14 and 2014-15 respectively. These marks are not significantly different from those of previous years, for this case that was already receiving good marks.