Traditionally, practical learning of electrical circuits has been carried out disconnected from real-world applications, often focusing exclusively on the mechanical repetition of procedures. This leads students to perceive these practical experiences as purely academic, detached from their future professional careers, thus reducing their motivation to learn electronics.

For this reason, and within the framework of the current educational paradigm oriented toward active learning, this work proposes a new approach to the practical teaching of electrical circuits in higher education. This experience consists of combining two active learning methodologies: Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL), which encourages students to ask their own questions and helps them acquire soft skills such as problem solving and collaboration; and Research-Based Learning (RBL), which engages students in a formal and rigorous process and introduces them to a scientific methodology applied to electronic design.

This project is implemented in an electronics course within a degree of Physics at the University of Zaragoza. The aim is to improve students' understanding and application of theoretical and practical concepts related to the design, analysis, and verification of electronic circuits, while boosting their motivation through the connection with real-world problems in professional and industrial environments. To achieve this, four laboratory experiences based on IBL and RBL have been designed, structured around different professional situations that require theoretical analysis, simulation, prototyping, and experimental validation. In each experience, a hypothetical situation should be resolved.

Specifically, the first experience leverages IBL methodology, placing students in the role of a technician who needs to measure the current of a low-power device. They will need to realize that depending on the selected scale, the measurement can vary significantly, and they will have to formulate hypotheses to explain what is happening. The second experience leverages RBL methodology. Students must go through a process of theoretical modeling, simulation and prototyping, to improve the clarity of an audio recording by designing a high-pass filter. Finally, the last two experiences are designed combining both RBL and IBL. In the third experience, students are hired by the city council to design a light threshold detector for efficient street lighting. In the fourth one, they act as engineers measuring temperature in a remote area of a factory, facing long-distance transmission and interference issues. This methodological sequence enables students to develop essential scientific skills such as hypothesis formulation and data-driven decision-making. Furthermore, all activities contribute to the development of soft skills such as teamwork and results communication.

Approaching the practical teaching of electrical circuits by combining IBL and RBL enhances critical thinking, creativity, autonomy, and ability to solve complex problems, while also increases the motivation and interest of the students towards the learning of electronics. Furthermore, the flexibility and adaptability of the project design allows its transferability to other subjects and environments within the STEM field.

Keywords: Electronics, higher education, inquiry-based learning, research-based learning.