Innovating Pedagogy and Experiential Learning in Geology Through the Recovery of a Historic University Geology Museum

Bibliographic Data

ID22049040
AuthorsEugenio Sanz Pérez (0000-0002-1178-1119, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid), Ignacio Menéndez-Pidal de Navascués (0000-0002-7053-1101, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain), Ignacio Menéndez-Pidal (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid), Juan Carlos Mosquera Feijóo (0000-0003-3292-2176, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain), Juan Carlos Mosquera-Feijóo (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, corresponding author), Joaquin Sanz de Ojeda (0000-0002-8235-7032, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid)
Year2026
Volume16
Issue3
Pages460
Publication date2026-03-17
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEducation Sciences (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2227-7102 • E-ISSN: 2227-7102
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/educsci16030460
OpenAlexW7138432517
LanguageEN
References cited27

Universities are struggling in a continuously changing environment surrounded by both accelerated digitalization and increasingly influential Artificial Intelligence. However, experiential learning stemming from direct visualization still relies on traditional tools and supporting materials. This work presents how a historic geology museum can serve as a pedagogical innovation for Civil Engineering students despite the challenges universities face amid accelerating digitalization. The geological collections of the School of Civil Engineering at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, neglected for decades, have recently been restored and transformed into a dynamic university museum that now plays a significant role in both degree and MEng education. This museum preserves several Paleolithic collections assembled by its professors since the school’s establishment in 1802. Historical and museological research confirms that these holdings—2471 minerals, 4555 rocks, 2012 fossils, archeological materials, and a unique set of 1200 formatted stone samples from 19th- and early 20th-century Spanish quarries—constitute one of the oldest and most comprehensive geological collections preserved in a Spanish engineering institution. The museum’s revitalization is implying new research on several sub-collections, still in progress. In summary, the historical museum has been integrated into Civil Engineering teaching, supporting experiential and lifelong learning in geology and geotechnics. Furthermore, the museum serves as an innovative tool for teaching geology to secondary school students, promoting innovation in teaching practices and scientific dissemination, and encouraging interest in Earth sciences. Overall, the museum is becoming a valuable resource for innovative pedagogy to respond to the lifelong learning implications of STEM educational practices

Engineering education · Experiential learning · Lifelong learning · Teaching method · Geography Education and Pedagogy · Geological Modeling and Analysis · Geotourism and Geoheritage Conservation

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