A pilot learning-service action to improve the students’ performance and motivation in network engineering courses: a report

Resumen

Traditionally, at the Information Systems School of Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, students in network engineering courses have reported low motivation and relevant absenteeism. To address this situation, a pilot experience based on Service-Learning methodology was organized in the academic year 2023 - 2024. The proposed Service-Learning experience was focused on two different degrees: Information Technologies and Computer Engineering. The proposed Service-Learning experience consisted of conscientization actions focused on stakeholders (mainly workers and company owners), through the deployment of a digital system to monitor the work conditions of workers in a transparent and unintrusive way. The system also showed how sustainable the company is and its options to reach a more rational use of environmental resources, as well as the potential benefits. Students were organized into groups of four people. Participant (service) workers and companies offered feedback on their corporative challenges and one final prize to the team that best met the initial requirements. The information was collected from the official surveys and the academic results, and compared to results from the previous years, when the subject was organized according to a traditional scheme. The Mann Whitney U statistical test was employed to determine if the differences are significant or not. The results indicated a significant improvement in student motivation, their satisfaction, along with a slight but significant improvement in their academic performance.