Learning together - working together. PBL in cooperation with companies

Abstract

In the context of a Project Based engineering School (PBS), every student carries on at least one capstone project. The project has, among its objectives, to bring the "real world" to the students, which is done through the collaboration of external agents, such as companies, institutions or NGOs. In this work we sought to identify the concerns experienced by students, teachers and companies involved in the projects developed in the PBS according to their perceptions. To do so, we made an online survey to teachers, students and companies taking part in the projects as well as an informal interview to companies’ representatives. It seems that the perception of the students is influenced by the type of collaboration with the company (in the proposal, in giving feedback or just the evaluation of their results). They feel their work more important when they asses them and have more sense of responsibility as the project is real. However, they also feel anxiety and stress when making the final presentation in front of a company. In general, students recognized that projects with companies are a powerful experience as they provide closeness to the professional world. Teachers say that coordination between parties is a key factor in the definition of the concrete objectives of the project and the subjects involved. They find difficult to match the curricula matching with the company needs, but help them to learn in a closer way to their students’ future as engineers. It seems that a global involvement of companies decreases not only the university-business distance, but also facilitates a rapprochement due to its involvement in the learning of future engineers.