Engineering Education: From traditional teaching to the active learning pedagogy

Abstract

In view of the needs of a changing world that demands the reinforcement of creative and innovative processes, engineering education becomes one of the most relevant issues for a nation pursuing its insertion and survival into knowledge society. In this respect, active learning methodologies are perceived as the most appropriate tools leading engineers to an educational environment that prepares them for the challenges faced by society. Our work is a review of the active learning methodologies frequently used by engineering colleges and their success like a sort of appropriate tools for inspiring motivation and creativity in student and teachers alike. Also, it finds that the implementation of active learning practices backed by technologies of information and communication has become in a recent source of good experiences and discoveries. The results of the implementation of some of them are presented.