Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Institut de Ciències de l'Educació (ICE)
Abstract
The EHEA (EEES in Spain) is creating common academic degree standards comparable and
compatible between the European countries. The definition of the new Credit unit, the ECTS,
focused on the hours of study devoted by the students, is also promoting the renovation of the
educational process at the higher studies of Graduate Degree and Master.
We describe the experience of innovation of the teaching practice of the “Fibres &
Telecommunications” subject of the Master PhotonicsBCN (part of the Erasmus Mundus Master
EUROPHOTONICS), by introducing team9 working techniques for promoting: the development
of cooperative learning, interpersonal skills, and positive interdependence among the students,
not forgetting the individual initiative and responsibility.
The teamwork is oriented to small innovation projects (inspired in state9of9the9art research
challenges faced by the European FP7 EURO9FOS Network9 of 9Excellence) promoting
interactive and dynamic student learning process. Each team member is spontaneously
encouraged to learn as much as possible on both: the area of his task inside the common project,
and also the influence of his task in the over all results of the project. This is implemented by the
use of commercial software for professional systems deployment (VPIphotonics
TM
), which
allows each team to check the real viability of their innovative solutio