EXPERIENCES WITH COOPERATIVE AND COMPETITIVE LEARNING IN ENGINEERING COURSES

In this paper we present some experiences involving cooperative and competitive learning techniques in three courses included in Engineering Degrees at Miguel Hernandez University (Elche, Spain). The main motivation for this initiative is the fact that "traditional" teaching methods present two main problems: first, it is difficult to motivate students and second, they do not allow the development of some of the abilities required nowadays, especially in Engineering courses. In our opinion, the results obtained have been excellent. We have observed that many students have participated in the cooperative activities and that they have obtained better grades and have acquired more knowledge and practical abilities using these methods.