ACTIVE METHODOLOGIES AND AGILE METHODS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION: A PEDAGOGICAL EXPERIENCE REPORT

Abstract

This article reports and systematically analyzes a pedagogical experience developed in an elective engineering course grounded in active learning methodologies and agile methods, especially Scrum and Kanban. The experience involved 9 students from Mechanical, Production, Chemical, Environmental, and Sanitary Engineering programs, organized into 2 teams. Students were challenged to design and build educational toys for children aged 3 to 5 using recyclable materials while engaging in planning, prototyping, testing, and reflective writing. The analytical systematization drew on three sets of evidence: the prototypes, the articles written by the students, and the final course evaluation data. The results indicate progress in technical, socio-emotional, and socio-environmental competencies, particularly student protagonism, collaborative work, project-process management, and sustainability awareness. At the same time, limitations related to time constraints, heterogeneous prior knowledge, and the demands of academic writing became evident. The study concludes that combining active learning, sustainability, and agile methods constitutes a consistent path for engineering education, provided that the experience is accompanied by systematic analysis and intentional teaching mediation.