Project-based active learning in a robotic master’s degree Subject with covid combined face-to-face and online teaching requirements

The work proposed here tries to introduce a project-based learning methodology for the subject Sensing Systems of the master’s degree in Automation and Robotics at the University of Alicante. The heterogeneous conditions of the students and the combined face-to-face and online teaching requirements made the teachers change the current teaching model based only on theoretical classes and individual practical exercises, to a more flexible schedule following a Project-based active learning scheme. One of the problems that the teachers found in this subject and the master’s degree in general is the difference in knowledge between the students in the different areas that the subject cover. This is due to the heterogeneity of students who come from different degrees from various universities and even countries. Also, in this course, the teachers must deal with the situation that the incoming students graduated in the Degree in Robotics Engineering (University of Alicante) already have most of the knowledge that this and other subjects cover. This project-based learning is therefore intended to promote self-teaching to allow the most advanced students to get a deep teaching experience while the others learn the basics of the subject. The other great challenge the teachers must deal with is the adaptation to the current face-to-face and online combined teaching classes. As the proposed projects must be carried out using the robotics laboratory hardware, a carefully designed schedule for sharing the resources was made, with special attention to the current cleaning requirements. All these factors make us think that project-based learning will allow all students to acquire the appropriate skills. To evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of this proposal two surveys were carried out, one for the students and another for the current and previous teachers of the subject. The results show how this strategy got good results even for the students with no prior knowledge of the subject area. © 2021 University of Minho. All rights reserved.