Adapting the Telecommunication Engineering curriculum to the EEES: A project based learning tied to several subjects

This paper describes the adaptation process to the European Credit Transfer System requirements of several subjects aiming at the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) learning. Specifically, these subjects are sited at the Telecommunications Engineering studies lectured in the University of Valladolid. In a first step two first grade subjects have been established, while in a second and final step, coinciding with the new degrees beginning, it will be extended to five subjects placed in consecutive semesters. The global programming has been divided into several subprojects of growing complexity, developed into subjects sited in different and successive semesters of the degree, following a pathway leading to the development of a global project throughout four years. The whole learning process is ICT-supported, as tools for overcoming distance and scheduling barriers are offered. In particular, Moodle platform is used, which has been enhanced with self-evaluation and co-evaluation tools developed by the teaching group. Main innovation regarding to the classical approach consists of a computer programming subject focused on the student learning and based on the detailed specification of the activity the students have to perform in and out of the classroom in order to achieve the educational objectives of each of the subjects. The educational strategies used to accomplish these objectives are based on the cooperative learning, on the teamwork developing a programming project (Project Based Learning, PBL), and on the discovery learning.