Competitive learning in electric circuit theory using MOODLE

Abstract

We have recently introduced an activity based on competitive learning in the subject of "Electric Circuit Theory", which is taught in the first year of the 3-year degree of Technical Telecommunication Engineering at the University of Valladolid. Students are divided into groups and compete in a tournament through a series of knockout rounds. In each of these rounds, a contending group solves an electric circuit problem, and proposes an update on it, which must then be solved by the other contending team, and so on until one of them fails. In order to facilitate the management of the game, the open-source MOODLE platform has been employed. This paper describes the experience and the learning benefits that it brings, as well as how the method has been implemented using the MOODLE platform. Moreover, the satisfaction of the students and the time required by the students and by the teacher when using this technique are also analyzed. While the experience focuses on the subject of "Electric Circuit Theory", it is worthy to note that it may be easily extended to other subjects. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.