This study evaluated a STEAM-based educational innovation implemented in an undergraduate Engineering Drawing course for Civil Engineering students at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). The intervention centered on the design and prototyping of climate-change-themed board games developed in AutoCAD, replacing a conventional drawing assignment. Students collaborated in small teams with defined roles to emulate professional engineering environments and to foster structured teamwork. Using a project-based learning approach, teams integrated concepts from science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics to produce playable, content-aligned artifacts addressing climate-change challenges. Academic outcomes were compared with those of a historical cohort taught using a traditional methodology, applying variance-robust statistical tests (Welch’s t and Mann–Whitney). In addition, end-of-course student perceptions of the STEAM activity were analyzed. Results showed differences in final grades of modest practical magnitude and generally positive student perceptions, particularly regarding creativity, collaboration, and climate awareness, alongside identified challenges related to workload balance, time allocation, and assessment alignment. Overall, the experience suggests that STEAM strategies can enhance engagement and contextual learning in early engineering drawing courses while highlighting specific opportunities for pedagogical refinement.
Vasquez-Monteros et al. (2026) studied this question.