Workshops in “Construction of Structures I”: A new teaching methodology in the Building Engineering Degree

Both the current economic situation in the construction sector and the continuous normative changes in the building area imply the use of new methodologies to enhance students’ competences in the degree of Building Engineer. The aim of this paper is to present, analyse and discuss the development of constructive workshops as a new teaching methodology used in the subject of Construction of Structures I at the University of Alicante to complement the constructive and technical knowledge acquired by our students and to enhance their communicative and representation skills essential for their professional practice in the future. The used methodology is based on the development of three-dimensional construction details (in groups of 3 or 4 students) to be shown in two A1-pannels exposed in the corridors of the Polytechnic School. Thus, students’ work approaches constructive problems in a global way by discussing simultaneously with teachers and other groups about the most suitable solution on each case. This contribution has multiperspective results and improves criticism of students in different areas, encouraging new learning strategies and active participation. What is more, on-line information and web applications have been used to prepare and organize this kind of workshops, allowing students to use new technologies as a complementary learning methodology. In conclusion, the use of these new workshops in the Degree of Building Engineer stimulates an interactive class versus a traditional lecture where the participative groups´ attitude and the development of oral presentations dissolve the traditional boundaries regarding public communication skills of the students in the Degree.

A Construction Management Framework for Mass Customisation in Traditional Construction

A Mass Customisation model is discussed as a competitive positioning strategy in the marketplace adding value to the customer’s end-use. It includes the user as part of the construction process responding to the customer’s demands and wishes. To the present day, almost all proposals for Mass Customisation have been focused on the design phase and single family houses. The reality is that the processes carried out in the work execution are so inefficient that the costs of the Mass Customisation models are assumed by the customer and they do not offer solutions that support the change management. Furthermore, this inefficiency often makes Mass Customisation unfeasible in terms of deadlines and site management. Therefore, the present proposal focuses on achieving the paradigm of Mass Customisation in the traditional residential construction complementary to the existing proposals in the design phase. All this through the proposal of a framework for the integral management in the work execution, which will address change management introduced by the users offering an efficient and productive model that reduces costs in the process. This model will focus on the synergy between different strategies, techniques and technologies currently used in the construction management (such as Lean Construction or Six Sigma), together with, other strategies and technologies that have proven to be valid solutions in other fields (such as Business Process Management, Service Oriented Architecture, etc.).

Modelling logical expressions exercises

Exercises of application of the systematic procedure to derive linear inequalities for logic expressions (Ejercicios de aplicación del método sistemático de obtención de restricciones lineales para expresiones lógicas).

La construcción ideológica y social del fenómeno de las adopciones: avances y retos para una sociología de las adopciones

El artículo tiene como objetivo el análisis del proceso de construcción social del fenómeno de las adopciones en España, que tendrá mayor relevancia numérica e impacto social en la década de los noventa con el incremento de las adopciones internacionales. Las conclusiones que se presentan surgen de la investigación documental llevada a cabo en documentos oficiales y personales. Las leyes, normas y decretos que se revisan son examinados en su estructura social y al hilo de las ideologías dominantes sobre maternidad, crianza, infancia y familia. Se incluye el legado normativo que el movimiento por la recuperación de la memoria histórica ha dotado de contemporaneidad, al tiempo que nos sitúa en la construcción actual de la adopción. Esta visión diacrónica se completa con el análisis de documentos personales autobiográficos. Si significativo es el incremento de las adopciones internacionales en España, también lo es el importante número de documentos personales en los que madres y padres relatan en primera persona su experiencia con la adopción. Sus narraciones son críticas con la gestión del proceso de la adopción y con la ideología que subyace, basada en la construcción de la diferencia con fuerte sesgo a favor del modelo biológico y en la sacralización del niño adoptado. En sus relatos se sigue el proceso contemporáneo de construcción identitario, individual y social de la adopción en España.