PROBLEM - SOLVING IN THERMAL ENGINEERING BASED ON FLIPPED LEARNING METHODOLOGY

One of the main causes of failure of Thermal Engineering students is related to problem-solving. Most lecturers consider this is due to the lack of understanding of the Principles of Thermodynamics, to their practical from theory to practice and also to certain extent, to the deficiencies in the mathematical competencies of the students. In general, when a student struggles with a new problem, she tries to find resolution similarities in relation to the problems that were already solved by the lecturer. So, the applied teaching methodology has a fundamental role. ikasTHERM is a learning methodology research group composed of 12 lecturers in Thermal Engineering from the University of the Basque Country. This research group uses active learning methodologies based on a flipped learning strategy. This strategy is conducted by several tools, as Khan Academy style video tutorials at students disposal on a YouTube channel, formative evaluation program based on Socrative type test, and practical activities in class. Using video tutorials developed by the teaching staff themselves, and sharing them on YouTube channel, enhances the understanding of the theory from those videos, and it is later evaluated by using Socrative type test, so the lecturers know the strengths and weaknesses of the students in relation to the lesson in order to decide which activity is the most appropriate. These activities are based on guided problem-solving methodology. The survey carried out at the end of the course and the results of the exam show that the methodology encourages the students to analyse and understand what they are doing during the class, instead of trying to remember at home how they solved a similar problem in class.