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This paper presents the introduction of problem-based learning (PBL) in a power electronics course at the University of Oviedo, Gijón, Spain, by means of two practical projects: the design and construction of a switching-mode power supply (SMPS) prototype and the static study of a dc–dc converter topology. The goal of this innovation was for students to apply in practice the knowledge they had acquired in theory classes. PBL is known to be a motivating, problem-centered teaching method that brings the real professional world closer to the student. The instructors thus considered PBL to be the most suitable methodology to obtain the desired results. The underlying methodology, task planning, and assessment of these projects will be presented. Furthermore, the influence of the introduction of PBL in practical sessions versus the traditional teaching method will be discussed. Finally, the instructors' reflections and conclusions regarding the application of PBL in this course from 2007–2009 will be presented. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The static design of ac/dc and dc/dc switching-mode power supplies (SMPS) relies on a simple but repetitive process. Although specific spreadsheets, available in various computer-aided design (CAD) programs, are widely used, they are difficult to use in educational applications. In this paper, a graphic tool programmed in MATLAB is presented, which allows students to apply and to reflect upon the knowledge acquired in theoretical classes. This tool has been successfully employed in the course “Sistemas Electrónicos de Alimentación” in the Telecommunications Engineering degree as part of a project in new education methods (University of Oviedo project PB-08–019). During practical sessions, the students used the tool to design a SMPS, achieving better learning results than was the case without the tool. In addition, the tool was successfully used to improve the students' theoretical knowledge of the subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presentation skills, such as oral expression and public speaking, have normally been relegated to the background in engineering degree programs. In recent years, however, the labor market has specifically demanded these kinds of skills in engineers. Accordingly, new engineering degrees, adapted to the goals of the Bologna Declaration or ABET criteria, consider presentation skills as being fundamental transferable skills. In practice, however, many engineering degree programs do not specifically foster these skills even though they are included in the syllabus. This paper proposes a presentation-skills training that uses the Master's thesis as an opportunity for fostering presentation-related skills. This activity has students deliver a scheduled series of rehearsals, in front of their classmates and tutors, for their officially assessed presentation of their Master's thesis work. The paper also presents a Web tool specifically designed for uploading recordings of the rehearsal presentations for feedback online as a complementary method for fostering presentation-related skills. Finally, the results of carrying out the proposed resource over a 4-year period from 2009 to 2013 are discussed; they show that students following the proposed methodology had higher than average marks, all receiving an A+, and 82% of them receiving an A+ with distinction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]