USING COLLABORATIVE TOOLS FOR IMPROVING THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN THE DEGREE IN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

This paper describes the results of an educational improvement project funded by the Educational Support Unit (USE) of Universitat Jaume I (Castellon). The project was implemented during 2013 in the compulsory subject 'Modelmaking Workshop', taught in the Degree in Industrial Design and Product Development. In the subject the students have to develop new conceptual products and build scale models using different materials and tools. The ultimate purpose of the project was to enhance students' final performance in the subject through improving their motivation and involvement. For this aim we have focused on several objectives: to introduce web 2.0 tools as a means to publicize their work, to acquire professional skills in photography in order to present their projects properly, to create synergies among students and strengthen critical thinking. For that purpose, we created a blog in which students presented their projects and they assessed their peers, providing constructive points of view. The final result has been positive, and it is being considered the implementation of this methodology in future related subjects.