Fostering scientific research in students of technical degrees: an assessment and continuation

Abstract

During the academic course 2021/2022, the authors performed a challenge-based learning (CBL) with 79 students of 1st year of technical degrees: Data Science, Physics and Industrial Engineering. This CBL lasted the whole academic year and the students worked in groups of threes to develop this challenge. Their final productions were: a scientific paper (in semester 1) and a scientific poster (in semester 2). Both contributions were orally presented; the paper was screencasted and presented in a video, while the poster was presented in situ in the classroom. Moreover, both works were evaluated by the professor and co-evaluated by the rest of the classmates.

Once the academic year 2021/2022 was over, the authors were able to gather very interesting information about the perception and satisfaction of this challenge. The most relevant items were: more than 60% of the students enjoyed doing this CBL; more than 75% claimed to be proud of the results achieved; more than 90% of the students would like to work on more CBLs like this during the Degree; and finally, more than 60% consider seriously to develop a phD in the future.

These good results have encouraged the authors to continue this line in future courses by elaborating a common thread with the professors of 2nd course. For example: students of 2nd year of Physics will perform a CBL based on scientific research for comparing Newtonian Mechanics to Lagrangian Mechanics. And other similar CBLs based on scientific research will be tackled by the other groups of students.

Finally, the authors will track the whole set of competences to be developed and improved through all the academic year 2022/2023; in order to check whether the goals have been reached.