Design and implementation of a comprehensive educational model: Project Based Engineering School (PBES)

Abstract

The School of Engineering at the Universidad Europea de Madrid (UEM) implemented a change in the pedagogical model applied in its degrees at the 2012/2013 period: the "Project Based Engineering School" (PBES). It consists on the application of the Project-Based Learning (PBL) methodology in at least several subjects each course in all its degrees. Each academic year, the students develop a capstone project covering partially the content of several subjects; faculty board and teachers were involved in the designing of a global framework and implementation adapted to each degree. How this process was made is explained in this paper. Positive results were obtained at the end of the first year that include further development of key skills, a deeper understanding of the specific skills and an increase on the motivation of students and teachers. There were also identified some areas for improvement for the coming years. This article will also show some of those results (both qualitative and quantitative) obtained after a year of experience from the students’ point of view.