Survey on student motivation and approval of educational environment at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid within the European Higher Education area implementation

A recent study elaborated by Vicerrectorado de Ordenación Académica y Planificación Estratégica of Technical University of Madrid (UPM) defines the satisfaction of the university student body as "the response that the University offers to the expectations and demands of service of the students, considered in a general way ". Besides an indicator of academic and institutional insertion of the student, the assessment of student engagement allows us to adapt the academic offer and the extension services of the University to the real needs of the students. The process of convergence towards the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) raises the need to form in competitions, that is to say, of developing in our students capacities and knowledge beyond the purely theoretical-practical thing. Therefore, the perception and experience of the educational process and environment by the students is an important issue to be addressed to accomplish their expectations and achieve a curriculum accordingly to EHEA expectations. The present study aims to explore the student motivation and approval of the educational environment at the UPM. To this end a total of 97 students enrolled in the undergraduate program of Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering and Agronomic Engineering at UPM were surveyed. The survey consisted of 40 questions divided in three blocks. The first one of 20 questions of personal character in that they were gathering, besides the sex and the age, the degree of fulfilment, implication and dedication with the institution and the academic tasks. In the second block we identify 10 questions related to the perception of the student on the teaching quality, and finally a block of 10 questions regarding the Bologna Process. The students personal motivation was moderately high, with a score of 3.6 (all scores are provided on a 5-point scale), being the most valuable items obtaining a university degree (4,3) and the friendship between students (4,2). Any significant difference was shown between sexes (P=0.23) since the averages for this block of questions were of 3.7±0.3 and 3.5±0.4 for women and men respectively. The students are moderately satisfied with their graduate studies with an average score of 3,2, being the questions that reflect a minor satisfaction the research profile of the teachers (2,8) and the organization of the Schools (2,9). The best valued questions are related to the usefulness and quality of the degrees, with 3,5 and 3,4 respectively, and to the interest of the courses within the degree (3,4). For sexes, the results of this block of questions are similar (3.1±0.3 and 3.2±0.3 for men and women respectively=0.79). Also, there were no differences (P=0.39) between the students who arrange work and studies or do not work (3.1±0.2 and 3.2±0.3 respectively). In conclusion, students at UPM present an acceptable degree of motivation and satisfaction with regard to the studies and services that offer their respective Schools. Both characteristics receive the same value both for men and for women and so much for students who arrange work and studies as for those who devote themselves only to studying. In a significant way, students who are more engaged and are in-class attendants present the major degree of satisfaction.Overall, there is a great lack of information regarding the Bologna Process. In fact to the majority, they would like to know more on what it is, what it means and what changes will involve its implementation.

Aproximación a la arquitectura popular en la Mancha Baja. El caso de Manzanares

La tesis se compone de una primera parte introductoria, en la que se recogen las distintas opiniones y definiciones de la arquitectura “popular”, el estado de la cuestión, comentando los artículos y publicaciones realizados sobre la Mancha. La segunda parte profundiza en aspectos generales previos al análisis edificatorio central de la tesis, con los siguientes capítulos: -Estudio de los condicionantes físicos, históricos, socio-económicos y culturales de la comarca de la Mancha Baja. Acotando el territorio. -Una visión general sobre la arquitectura tradicional de la provincia de Ciudad Real, por comarcas. -Un estudio de las distintas tipologías edificatorias tradicionales, con ejemplos en la comarca manchega. -El análisis de materiales constructivos, elementos y sistemas utilizados en las construcciones tradicionales en la Mancha Baja. La tercera parte, desde la premisa de la representación gráfica, apoyado en un anexo con dibujos de ciento treinta y siete edificios populares de Manzanares y comarca, estudia: El trazado urbano y las casas de Manzanares; desde los levantamientos de plantas, alzados y secciones, emplazamiento en la manzana y fotografías, se realiza una descripción completa, con noventa y seis ejemplos. Además de llegar a las conclusiones derivadas del análisis de estas edificaciones, los objetivos pretendidos con este estudio serían también: Realizar un primer trabajo aproximativo, desde la visión arquitectónica, de la arquitectura tradicional manchega. Recopilar toda la información existente que pueda relacionarse con la arquitectura popular en la comarca, y citar los escritos y publicaciones de referencia para posteriores estudios. Se estudia la geomorfología, el clima, el territorio, la economía, la sociología, etc…, para obtener una información clave, además de los materiales, técnicas constructivas y morfología de las edificaciones. Se destaca el apartado de los edificios preindustriales tradicionales, como molinos de viento, de agua, palomares, pósitos y bodegas con el análisis de varios ejemplos, por su importante presencia en las poblaciones. Por último se desarrolla un amplio bloque sobre bibliografía de arquitectura popular, la consultada y la general. La arquitectura popular de la mancha baja es tapial cubierto de teja árabe, cerrada al exterior, pero abierta a grandes patios, de planta baja y cámaras altas, con elementos auxiliares de protección y acceso, que revisten la aparente simplicidad volumétrica de estos complejos, viviendas-almacén. Con un complejo programa tanto agrícola como doméstico. De gran protección frente al clima, con escasa decoración, esquemas espaciales primitivos y con mayor envergadura estructural en las dependencias agropecuarias. Una arquitectura que mezcla el uso doméstico y el productivo, pero que al evolucionar aumenta su diferenciación. Edificios que mantienen las mismas cualidades estéticas, repitiendo formas y volúmenes, pero de peculiares configuraciones espaciales, se repiten los materiales y técnicas constructivas, así como elementos arquitectónicos con pocas variaciones, pero no existen dos conjuntos similares. No podemos utilizar un ejemplo como modelo de casa manchega. Evoluciona de la casa bloque, básica y primitiva, con ejemplos escasos en las poblaciones más deprimidas, a la casa compleja, donde se separan con claridad las dependencias agropecuarias de las vivideras. Evoluciona de una casa rural, con los mismos esquemas, ya se ubique en el campo o en núcleos de población, a la casa urbana, entre medianerías, en la que se puede encontrar una transformación paralela, desarrollándose programas domésticos, más especializados, mezclados con arquitecturas cultas, con programas que reflejan las nuevas necesidades de la sociedad urbana del siglo XX. ABSTRACT The thesis is composed of a first part that is collected as introducing different views and definitions of popular architecture, the state of affairs, commenting on articles and publications carried out at the Mancha. The second part explores general issues before the main urban analysis of the thesis, with the following chapters: -A study of the geographic, historical, socio-economic and cultural conditions of the region of the Mancha Baja. Delimiting the territory -A tour with an overview of the province of Ciudad Real by regions. -A study of the different traditional building types, with examples in the region from the Mancha. -The Analysis of building materials, components and systems used in traditional buildings in the Mancha Lower The third part studies from the premise of the drawing: The urban planning of the towns to study and houses of Manzanares, from the execution of plans, elevations and sections, sites in the blocks, old photographs, a full description is made, covering a wide range of examples, highlighting the “evolution during the twentieth century, in its last quarter, buildings of popular character “, which is the ultimate aim of the thesis. In addition to reaching the conclusions drawn from the analysis cards of these buildings, the objectives pursued with this study would be also: This paper is the realization of a first rough work from the architectural vision of traditional architecture from the Mancha. To Search a work method for approaching the popular architecture, other than those made so far by other studies of historians, engineers and sociologists, with the graphical representation and the buildings would be studied like living organisms that evolve over time. To collect all the current information that It can be able to connect itself with the popular architecture in the region, and cite the writings and publications of reference for future studies. Geomorphology, climate, topography of the place is studied to obtain a key information about materials, construction techniques and morphology of the buildings. A section is opened to study the case of traditional industrial buildings like windmills, flour mill, pigeon lofts, public granary, threshing floor and cellars with the analysis of several examples; its importance is highlighted in the urban plan of the town. Finally a large block of popular literature on architecture is developed, consulted for work is distinct from the general existing on the subject. The popular architecture from the Mancha is built of rammed earth and roofs inclined of Arabic tiles, the buildings are closed to the outside, but they are open around large courtyards, and ground floor and camera high, with additional elements of protection, they are opened to patios. The manor has a complex program on agricultural and domestic activity. Large climate protection, poor decoration, quite primitive in shaping living spaces, and more structural scale in storage and processing units of agriculture-related products, mainly wine, cereal and to a lesser extent oil. These architecture combines the domestic and productive use, but which will evolve and they are distinguishing, both enclosed spaces such as courtyards. The buildings keep the same aesthetic qualities because they repeat shapes and volumes, but they maintain their spatial configuration individually; the materials, building techniques and architectural elements are repeated with slight variations, but there aren´t two identical houses. This architecture evolved from the block, basic and primitive house, with few examples in the most deprived towns, to the complex house, where agricultural units are clearly separated of domestic rooms. It developed from a country house (with the same patterns) whether it is located in the countryside or in the towns, to an urban house, in which we can find a parallel transformation, developing domestic programs, more specialized, mixed with cultivated architectures, with programs that reflect the changing needs of urban society of the twentieth century.