Using JIGSAW-type collaborative learning for integrating foreign students in embedded system engineering

Nowadays, the acquisition of professional competences is recognised as the main goal of the learning processes. Among then, cooperative abilities enabling the interaction with other colleges are very important. However, the integration of different students and their collaboration during the teaching activities is not always easy. When students from different origins are placed together in the same classroom, we have noted that different closed groups can appear. Different techniques for collaborative learning have been proposed to integrate different students by forcing the creation of heterogeneous working groups. However, forcing students to work together usually limits their motivation on the related activities, compromising the whole educational process for both native and foreign students. To solve that, this paper proposes an application of a JIGSAW methodology that, using different practical activities, aims to ensure the integration of the different students while increasing their interest in the learning process. Additionally, the methodology improves the steps of monitoring and evaluation by adding final practical activities. The methodology has been applied in the area of embedded system design proposing as a practical activity the design of an automatic guided vehicle.