Project based learning activities as a means of adapting conventional curricula to the demands of the 21st century aeronautical engineer: The design and building of the EYEFLY 1.

摘要

In this paper we report the process of designing andudbuilding the EYEFLY 1, a real UAS platform which has justudperformed its maiden flight. For the development of this aircraft, 30 groups of students from successive years at the Escuela Universitaria de Ingeniería Técnica Aeronáutica (EUITA) of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) carried out their compulsory End of Degree Project as a coordinated Project Based learning activity. Our conclusions clearly indicate that Project Based Learning activities can provide a valid complement to more conventional, theoretically-based, teaching methods. Theudcombination of both approaches will allow us to maintainudtraditional but well-tested methods for providing our students with a sound knowledge of fundamental engineering disciplines and, at the same time, to introduce our students to exciting and relevant engineering situations and sceneries where social and business skills, such as communication skills, team-working or decision-taking, can be put into practice.