The pyramidal tutorial as a learning strategy for the design and development of the Final Project of the Degrees in Education

Abstract

The Bologna Declaration (1999) and the implementation of the European Higher Education Area (2010) in the Spanish University system have entailed a series of significant changes that those devoted to Higher Education need to analyse and assess to commit to improving. In this context, the introduction of the Final Projects in all the degrees of the Spanish University system has been one of the most remarkable novelties in this new educational framework. Most Spanish Higher Education centres had to make a major effort to design, adapt and give meaning to this new subject, unavoidable in the university landscape. The Final Project arises in an ideal space and time so that students, at the end of their academic process, are able to demonstrate their skills as professionals. Based on previous experiences, the design and development of the Final Project is a task that requires strong coordination among the teaching teams. In this light, we have decided to face this issue by developing a teaching innovation activity in the Faculty of Education Sciences at the University of Córdoba. This innovation activity is focused on the fact that students work in group to improve the design of their Final Projects, including the pyramid tutorial in the monitoring process. This innovation proposal, based on collaborative work, has entailed the planning, design and revision of over 30 Final Projects that in their final stage of assessment have obtained excellent results in the calls of July and September of the aforementioned Faculty.