SFPMECA has chosen since decades to engage in Problem- and Project-Based Learning (PBL). In the framework of this orientation and as a part of a reflection on the enhancement of hybridization of teaching methods in the wake of COVID-19 crisis, our paper presents the first results of an ongoing study. This study aims to propose a virtual Design Office called “BE Virtual” as a solution to facilitate implementing PBL approaches in engineer curriculum. To reach our goal, a “Design Thinking” inspired methodology and the modeling language SysML are used.

Problem- and project-based learning approaches place the students at the center of the learning processes and give the opportunity to make the students active and involved. It also prepares the students for their future professional life by placing them in real situations with different stakeholders. The assessments implemented during problem and project phases allow to evaluate the acquisition of disciplinary skills and competences. This kind of teaching and learning also provides the opportunity to develop specific project skills giving more autonomy and agility to the students in complex problem solving. Knowing their level of acquisition of these skills is a key point for the students, making them more confident in face of the problems they have to solve. All these aspects have been widely experienced and are well documented. ISMEP-Supmeca, a French public engineering school, has chosen since decades to engage in problem-and project-based learning. Progressively, this approach developed through various axis, including educational research projects (IDEFI PLACIS, Erasmus+ strategic partnerships EPICES and EBCC). There are now three offers of this kind at ISMEP-Supmeca: one problem-based learning module for first year students, and two project-based learning modules for second and last year students. Moreover, a self-assessment process has been implemented in order to enable the students to self-assess their project mode skills. Students realize one self-assessment at the beginning of the module and one at the end. In the first one, they evaluate their skills before working with others and receiving feedback, whereas in the second one, their assessment results from the experience gained during the module. This paper presents the first results and the perspectives of this self-assessment experiment, which will continue to be developed.

MOTIVATION: Central to many molecular biology techniques as ubiquitous as PCR and Southern blotting is the design of oligonucleotide (oligo) probes and/or primers possessing specific thermodynamic properties. Here, we use validated theoretical methods to generate distributions of predicted thermodynamic properties for DNA oligos of various lengths. These distributions facilitate immediate appreciation of typical thermodynamic values for oligos of various lengths. RESULTS: Distributions of melting temperature (Tm), free energy (DeltaG(T)o), and fraction hybridized or fraction bound (Fb), are presented for oligos of length 10-50 bases sampled from the human genome. The effects of changing temperature, oligo and salt concentrations, constraining G+C content, and introducing mismatches are exemplified. Our results provide the first survey of typical and limiting thermodynamic values evaluated on a genomic scale. Described numbers comprise useful 'rules of thumb' that are applicable to most technologies dependent upon DNA oligo design.