Design and Application of Project-Based Learning Methodologies for Small Groups Within Computer Fundamentals Subjects

Abstract

In higher education, it is usual to separate the theoretical contents from the practical ones and use teacher-centered methodologies. This fact makes students lose motivation due to the lack of connection with real professional tasks. Conversely, student-centered learning methods, such as project-based learning (PBL) or flipped classroom, aim to integrate both theoretical and practical contents and to apply them on real-world problems, thus increasing the students' motivation and involvement. These methodologies are usually applied in the last years of a degree, but it is difficult to find them in basic first-year subjects. The aim of this paper consists in assessing the application of a PBL methodology in the first-year subjects of computer engineering. This methodological change aims to achieve a significant improvement in the students' learning achievement of the core subject computer fundamentals. The project involved in the PBL proposal consists of developing a portable calculator. The performance of the PBL group is compared with that of other groups with a traditional, teacher-centered learning system. The evolution of the knowledge acquisition is determined by means of an initial evaluation and a final assessment after developing the project. An exhaustive statistical analysis is performed so as to evaluate the PBL application. Quantitative results show a significant improvement in the experimental group marks, which increased by up to 20% compared to the control groups. As a conclusion, applying PBL and flipped classroom engaged students within the subject, thus achieving a deeper understanding of its theoretical concepts.