Project-Based Learning in Hydraulic Technology - ETSIAMN
Qualification
Master's Degree in Agricultural Engineering
Master's Degree in Agricultural Engineering
Higher Technical School of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering
Work Team
- Jaime Arviza Valverde, Rural and Agrifood Engineering Department
- Iban Balbastre Peralta, Rural and Agrifood Engineering Department
- Virginia Palau Estevan, Rural and Agrifood Engineering Department
Introduction
This educational experience is part of the compulsory subject Hydraulic Technology (5 ECTS) of the first year of the Master's Degree in Agricultural Engineering, which is taught at the Higher Technical School of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering of the Polytechnic University of Valencia.
In project-based learning, we propose a real project within a specific context for the students to design: a collective pressure irrigation system in a physical environment with different technical and agricultural conditions.
This will provide them with a comprehensive overview of the project, from the initial phase to the final solution.
Objectives
The working groups have a common objective: to design a collective pressure irrigation system. They study and analyse possible solutions under different physical and technical conditions, finally coming up with the most suitable proposal.
This project teaches the students to:
- Search for and order the necessary initial information to design the system.
- Establish the system operation strategies so as to cover water requirements for crops that need irrigating and for the agricultural uses object of this project.
- Apply the design and sizing procedures to each of the proposed infrastructures.
- Economically quantify the proposed solution.
Besides, the participation in the project enables them to develop other skills for their professional future, including teamwork, research and interpretation of information such as initial data, maps of the physical environment, technical specifications and manufacturers' catalogues. It also helps them organise and plan their time.
Methodology
The project is presented to the students at the beginning of the term. They are provided with guidelines specifying the objectives, minimum contents and deadlines for submission
Initially, teams of 3 or 4 people chosen at random are created. These teams perform part of the work in IT rooms, where they are tutored by teachers. Each team of students has a tutor assigned to monitor their project.
To achieve effective monitoring of the project, partial submissions are made. After being corrected, these submissions are given back so that the team can analyse and improve them. This feedback is key both for their learning and for their analysis and overview of the problem posed.
Assessments and Results
The teams make an oral defence of their project and submit the written work that is evaluated with a rubric assessment, taking into consideration the development of the project, its defence and the final written work.
The project is given a proportionately high weighting in the assessment of the subject.
In addition, a participatory assessment is carried out by the group, consisting of self-evaluation and peer evaluation to analyse the group members’ performance.
Conclusion
Interviews and academic results show that this learning methodology is highly positive for students.
Their overall understanding of the problem posed, the search for real data and documentation, and the study of alternatives to obtain the best option provides them with more beneficial technical and transversal competences for their professional future.
Bibliographic References
Arviza J. y Palau C.V.2016. Diseño y proyecto como competencia transversal en la asignatura de Tecnología Hidráulica del máster de Ingeniería Agronómica. Spanish National Conference on Educational Innovation and Online Teaching (INRED 2016), pp 1092-1099.
Ortiz, C., Torregrosa, A. 2015. Experiencia de evaluación de competencias transversales en el Máster de Ingeniero Agrónomo de la Universidad Politécnica de Valencia. VIII Iberian Congress of Agricultural Engineering. Orihuela-Algorfa 1 a 3 de junio de 2015. 9 pp.
Palau C.V., Arviza J, Balbastre I. 2016. Método del caso aplicado a la asignatura de Ingeniería del Riego del grado de Ingeniería Agroalimentaria y del Medio Rural. Spanish National Conference on Educational Innovation and Online Teaching (INRED 2016), pp 386-392
Palomares M.T., Portales-Mañanós A., Esteve-Sendra M.C., Vargas M., Sebastiá-Frasquet M.T, Babiloni-Griñón E. Pascual-Seva N. Asensio-Cuesta S. (2015). RIAD. La experiencia de los PIME’s aplicada a un aprendizaje basado en proyectos. Spanish National Conference on Educational Innovation and Online Teaching (IN-RED 2015). ISBN: 978-84-9048-396-1.
This educational experience has been conducted within the framework of the UPV Educational Innovation and Improvement Projects (public notice for 2018 T+L).
