Problem-Based Learning for an Electrical Machines Course

This article seeks to describe the implementation of a problem-based learning (PBL) teaching-learning method in a university classroom. The aim is for the student through given real-life situations to acquire knowledge, abilities, and attitudes in the subject of electrical machines in the undergraduate electrical engineering program of the Catholic University of Cuenca. Solving problems related to static machines will be similar to the problems that students will face in their professional lives; namely, to be able to identify a static machine and its operation, parameters, model its equivalent circuits (open- and short-circuit tests), calculate losses, and carry out hysteresis loop measurement. Most of these concepts are abstract and challenging for students to assimilate. Therefore, the present research shows how using the PBL model in studying static machines improves the academic performance and achievement of students in an experimental group. There was an improvement of 7 points out of 100 in relation to the average of the grades of three groups of students from previous semesters. Also, the standard deviation is lower in the experimental group (SD 4.5584), which shows that most of the students improved in their performance. Finally, there was no failure of the study year nor remedial exams among this group.