Assessment of microproject-based teaching/learning (MicroPBL) experience in industrial engineering degrees

Résumé

An assessment program to evaluate microproject-based teaching/learning (MicroPBL) methodology on the technical subject ‘Manufacturing Technology’ was implemented for four consecutive academic years. Students from three different engineering degrees were involved providing feedback through different surveys that allowed us to perform a proper evaluation. More specifically, students’ surveys were anonymous after each academic year, except the last one, in which non-anonymous pre and post-surveys were conducted. The surveys were meant to evaluate the acquisition of specific competences (using technical questions about the subject) as well as generic competences (using questions concerning soft-skills). We also checked the students’ satisfaction with the methodology and with the signature in general. Using non-anonymous surveys allowed us to correlate results with the student’s final scores. Students’ self-assessment concerning their knowledge about technical aspects drastically changed after the course. The average of the subject’s final score from student’s perception was slightly higher than the actual value. Student’s self-perception on soft-skills was also increased at the end of the course. The MicroPBL methodology demonstrated beneficial for the case of this technical subject as it maintained high motivation levels in students, which were directly related to students’ success rates and final scores.