Assessment of a pedagogical model for STEM education: combining technology and collaborative tasks

Abstract

The polymer industry was boosted in the middle of the twentieth century when industrial production was made feasible. Nowadays, it is really difficult to find many everyday objects that are not made of plastic or contain plastic parts. Thus, polymer science and technology is an essential area in the materials engineering curriculum, where traditional (e.g., extrusion) and novel (e.g., 3D-printing) processing techniques can be discussed. Two pedagogical strategies were used in the present study. In the theoretical classes, a simple model based on an everyday object (i.e., shoelaces) was used as a demonstration of the structure of polymers, while a questionnaire carried out twice was performed in seminars oriented to the resolution of case studies. ICTs were used in both sessions (i.e., Instagram and Office Excel) to assess the learning process. The students determined that this approach resulted interesting for them, which in the end increased their motivation. Both strategies were successful, as denoted by the results of this academic year compared to the previous ones. This indicates that this innovative activity is a model validated by most students, increasing the development of their competencies and their motivation