Competence assessment of final year projects for undergraduate telecommunication students

The value of project-based learning has lead to the inclusion of project development activities in engineering courses, being the Final Year Project (FYP) the most remarkable one. Several approaches have been proposed for assessing and grading FYPs but, among them, rubrics are becoming a standard for such type of assessment. However, due to the different characteristics and orientations of the projects (some are more practically oriented, some more theoretically), and the high amount of different competences to be evaluated (knowledge, working capability, communication skills, etc.), the definition of one unique rubric suitable for the evaluation of all FYPs presented in different degree programs, is a big challenge. In a former work, the educational outcomes expected from the FYP were defined and resulted in a proposal for their assessment. Afterwards, the proposal has been tested during one year within an educational innovation-project at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid which involved the follow-up of 8 undergraduate telecommunication students elaborating their FYPs. In this publication, our experience will be described, based on the emerging work taking place through the formalisation of the process which consisted in the following steps: i) establishment of a schedule for the whole process (publication of FYPs topics, selection of applying students and their enrolment, assignation of a jury to each FYP, elaboration and follow-up of FYPs, final report submission, oral presentation, etc.); ii) design of rubrics for each of three assessment parts: working process, final report and oral presentation; and iii) follow-up and evaluation of the involved FYPs. Finally, problems that appeared during this experience (e.g. administrative aspects, criticisms and suggestions from the students, tutors and juries involved) are discussed and some modifications in the assessment system will be proposed in order to solve or minimize these problems.

De los proyectos al programa en el ámbito público: nuevo modelo de evaluación del empleo en la Comunidad de Madrid.

Regarding different programmes belonging to the public sphere, it is essential to have proper tools able to quickly provide accurate data related to impacts generated by its projects. This aspect, along with the actual use of this data is essential for proper planning. This communication presents the system designed for project-based evaluation of the employment programs in the Community of Madrid. This system aims to provide fast and reliable information by relying on a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods from existing information and structures. Another contribution of the designed system is the implementation of the Empowerment Evaluation as a tool to encourage the incorporation of evaluation results to the planning processes in a systematic way.

Evolution and implementation of CDIO initiatives at ETSII-UPM

The School of Industrial Engineering at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (ETSII-UPM) has been promoting student-centred teaching-learning activities, according to the aims of the Bologna Declaration, well before the official establishment of the European Area of Higher Education. Such student-centred teaching-learning experiences led us to the conviction that project based learning is rewarding, both for students and academics, and should be additionally promoted in our new engineering programmes, adapted to the Grade-Master structure. The level of commitment of our teachers with these activities is noteworthy, as the teaching innovation experiences carried out in the last ten years have led to the foundation of 17 Teaching Innovation Groups at ETSII-UPM, hence leading the ranking of teaching innovation among all UPM centres. Among interesting CDIO activities our students have taken part in especially complex projects, including the Formula Student, linked to the complete development of a competition car, and the Cybertech competition, aimed at the design, construction and operation of robots for different purposes. Additional project-based learning teamwork activities have been linked to toy design, to the development of medical devices, to the implementation of virtual laboratories, to the design of complete industrial installations and factories, among other activities detailed in present study. The implementation of Bologna process will culminate at ETSII-UPM with the beginning of the Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering, in academic year 2014-15. The program has been successfully approved by the Spanish Agency for Accreditation (ANECA), with the inclusion of a set of subjects based upon the CDIO methodology denominated generally “INGENIA”, linked to the Spanish “ingeniar” (to provide ingenious solutions), also related etymologically in Spanish with “ingeniero”, engineer. INGENIA students will live through the complete development process of a complex product or system and there will be different kind of projects covering most of the engineering majors at ETSII-UPM.

Innovation in consulting firms: an area to explore

Services are the most representative sector in developed economies due to their contribution to GDP and employment. Consulting firms are classified as part of the Knowledge Intensive Business Services (KIBS) and provide professional services to all types of organizations. Consulting firms usually innovate with their customers and suppliers in a nurturing environment for value co-creation. This environment is project-based, process-oriented and with intensive knowledge exchange among all stakeholders. Based on literature review, it has been found that despite the existence of frameworks for service innovation, none of them have specifically focused on consulting firms. Further implications on this issue are addressed for both academics and practitioners.

Desarrollo de una aplicación web con Spring Framework para un gestor de un recetario

Este proyecto tiene como intención llevar a cabo el desarrollo de una aplicación basada en tecnologías Web utilizando Spring Framework, una infraestructura de código abierto para la plataforma Java. Se realizará primero un estudio teórico sobre las características de Spring para luego poder implementar una aplicación utilizando dicha tecnología como ejemplo práctico. La primera parte constará de un análisis sobre las características más significativas de Spring, recogiendo de esta forma información sobre todos los componentes del framework necesarios para desarrollar una aplicación genérica. El objetivo es descubrir y analizar cómo Spring facilita la implementación de un proyecto con arquitectura MVC y cómo permite integrar seguridad, internacionalización y otros conceptos de forma transparente. La segunda parte, el desarrollo de la aplicación web, sirve como demostración práctica de cómo utilizar los conocimientos recogidos sobre Spring. Se desarrollará una aplicación que gestiona un recetario generado por una comunidad de usuarios. La aplicación contiene un registro de usuarios que deberán autenticarse para poder ver sus datos personales y modificarlos si lo desean. Dependiendo del tipo de usuarios, tendrán acceso a distintas zonas de la aplicación y tendrán un rango distinto de acciones disponibles. Las acciones principales son la visualización de recetas, la creación de recetas, la modificación o eliminación de recetas propias y la modificación o eliminación de recetas de los demás usuarios. Las recetas constarán de un nombre, una descripción, una fotografía del resultado, tiempos estimados, dificultad estimada, una lista de ingredientes y sus cantidades y finalmente una serie de pasos con fotografías demostrativas si se desea añadir. Los administradores, un tipo específico de usuarios, podrán acceder a una lista de usuarios para monitorizarlos, modificarlos o añadir y quitarles permisos. ABSTRACT The purpose of this project is the development of an application based on Web technologies with the use of Spring Framework, an open-source application framework for the Java platform. A theoretical study on the characteristics of Spring will be performed first, followed by the implementation of an application using said technology to show as object lesson. The first part consists of an analysis of the most significant features of Spring, thus collecting information on all components of the framework necessary to develop a generic app. The goal is to discover and analyze how Spring helps develop a project based on a MVC architecture and how it allows seamless integration of security, internationalization and other concepts. The second part, the development of the web application, serves as a practical demonstration of how to use the knowledge gleaned about Spring. An application will be developed to manage a cookbook generated by a community of users. The application has a set of users who have to authenticate themselves to be able to see their personal data and modify it if they wish to do so. Depending on the user type, the user will be able to access different parts of the application and will have a different set of possible actions. The main possible actions are: creation recipes, modification or deletion of owned recipes and the modification and deletion of any recipe. The recipes consist its name, a description, a photograph, estimated times and difficulties, a list of ingredients along with their quantities and lastly a series of steps to follow along with demonstrative photographs if desired; and other information such as categories or difficulties. The administrators, a specific type of users, will have access to a list of users where they can monitor them, modify them or grant and remove privileges.

Diseña tu propia aula

En este Trabajo Fin de Máster se propone una aplicación de la metodología de Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos en 3º de E.S.O. La solicitud, por parte de los alumnos, de innovar en el aula y los recursos de los que hoy en día disponemos, son la mayor motivación para diseñar los más variados Proyectos que puedan enriquecer la educación en valores y el aprendizaje de procedimientos, aspectos clave en el desarrollo profesional de nuestros alumnos. En el Proyecto “Diseña tu propia aula” se invita a los alumnos a crear un Estudio de Arquitectura con el objetivo de rediseñar su espacio de trabajo. Aplicando criterios sostenibles, mejorarán la eficiencia energética del aula y crearán un espacio más responsable con el Medio Ambiente. La implementación de los contenidos, competencias y criterios de evaluación a través de este proyecto promete ser un verdadero reto, tanto para docentes, como para los alumnos. ¿Estamos preparados? This Master’s Thesis applies Project Based Learning methodologies within third-year secondary education classrooms, particularly those of 3° E.S.O. Motivated by the demand from modern pupils for new innovation in the classroom and by the new resources available for use therein, this thesis proposes to design a project which enriches and improves the education of the student in both ethics and technical methods, key aspects of the student’s professional development. The “Design your own classroom” project invites pupils to create their own architecture studio within the classroom by challenging them to redesign their workplace through the application of sustainable design criteria in order to create a workspace that is more environmentally responsible. The inclusion of content, skills and evaluation criteria in this project present a real challenge both for the teacher and for the pupil. Are we ready?

Emoções desencadeadas no contexto de um projeto interdisciplinar no ensino de ciências

O desenvolvimento do pensamento e do conhecimento humano esteve vinculado, por muitos séculos a uma visão dual do Homem enquanto corpo/mente, matéria/espírito, razão/emoção, cognição/afeto. Com o surgimento de novas concepções teóricas especialmente a abordagem histórico-social de Vigotski, fundamentada em determinantes culturais, históricos e sociais da condição humana, foi possível uma nova releitura das dimensões cognitiva e emocional, na direção de uma interpretação monista do ser Humano. No entanto, mesmo diante desta interpretação integral do indivíduo, ainda persiste em larga escala no ensino, particularmente no ensino de Ciências, a tradicional busca do desenvolvimento da racionalidade e da lógica em detrimento à dimensão afetivoemocional. Este trabalho de pesquisa pretende focar especial atenção na dimensão afetivo-emocional nas relações estabelecidas em sala de aula quando um projeto de abordagem interdisciplinar é implementado. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida com uma turma do terceiro ano do Ensino Médio constituída de 22 alunos, de uma escola privada localizada em uma cidade do interior do Estado de São Paulo. Os resultados refletem a existência de conflitos emocionais significativos entre os alunos, merecendo, portanto, um planejamento docente que permita ações de gestão dessas emoções no contexto do processo de ensino e de aprendizagem.

How to measure healthiness in buildings: Experiences in teaching with BIM tools

Introducing teaching about healthy solutions in buildings and BIM has been a challenge for the University of Alicante. Teaching attached to very tighten study plans conditioned the types of methods that could be used in the past. The worldwide situation of crisis that especially reached Spain and the bursting of the housing bubble generated a lack of employment that reached universities where careers related to construction, Architecture and Architectural Technologist, suffered a huge reduction in the number of students enrolled. In the case of the University of Alicante, students’ enrolment for Architectural Technology reached an 80% reduction. The necessity of a reaction against this situation made the teachers be innovative and use the new Bologna adapted study plans to develop new teaching experiences introducing new concepts: people wellbeing in buildings and BIM. Working with healthy solutions in buildings provided new approaches for building design and construction as an alternative to sustainability. For many years sustainability was the concept that applied to housing gave buildings an added value and the possibility of having viability in a very complex scenario. But after lots of experiences, the approved methodologies for obtaining sustainable housing were ambiguous and at the end, investors, designers, constructors and purchasers cannot find real and validated criteria for obtaining an effective sustainable house. It was the moment to work with new ideas and concepts and start facing buildings from the users’ point of view. At the same time the development of new tools, BIM, has opened a wide range of opportunities, innovative and suggestive, that allows simulation and evaluation of many building factors. This paper describes the research in teaching developed by the University of Alicante to adapt the current study plans, introducing work with healthy solutions in buildings and the use of BIM, with the aim of attracting students by improving their future employability. Pilot experiences have been carried out in different subjects based on the work with projects and case studies under an international frame with the cooperation of different European partner universities. The use of BIM tools, introduced in 2014, solved the problems that appeared in some subjects, mainly building construction, and helped with the evaluation of some healthy concepts that presented difficulties until this moment as knowledge acquired by the students was hard to be evaluated. The introduction of BIM tools: Vasari, FormIt, Revit and Light Control among others, allowed the study of precise healthy concepts and provided the students a real understand of how these different parameters can condition a healthy architectural space. The analysis of the results showed a clear acceptance by the students and gave teachers the possibility of opening new research lines. At the same time, working with BIM tools to obtain healthy solutions in building has been a good option to improve students’ employability as building market in Spain is increasing the number of specialists in BIM with a wider knowledge.

Ensenyar i aprendre literatura en contextos digitals: reptes i necessitats didàctiques

En aquest article es presenta una perspectiva del desenvolupament de la tecnologia al servei de l'ensenyament. El docent del segle XXI ha d'acomplir amb objectius cognitius, metodològics i tecnològics per a abastir el seu alumnat dins dels paràmetres de competència curricular, com també els instrumentals. La generació que està a les nostres aules són usuaris i gestors d'una societat en què estan consolidant habilitats i coneixements transversals que han de formar-se a l'escola tant com ho fan a l'àmbit domèstic.

La literatura: una aproximació a Jaume I a través dels projectes

En aquest article analitzem les possibilitats de la metodologia del treball per projectes, vinculats a aspectes culturals per a l’ensenyament de la literatura. El nostre estudi parteix d’un projecte dut a terme en un centre de l’Horta Sud. El nostre objectiu és donar a conèixer la importància del rei Jaume I i aproximar la literatura als joves valencians a través de la festa del 9 d’Octubre. El nostre és un integral en què totes les àrees treballaran conjuntament durant dues setmanes i mitja en una franja horària determinada. Aquest treball és destinat al curs de segon d’ESO d’un centre amb un nivell socioeconòmic mitjà-alt i on la llengua vehicular és el valencià.

Long-Term Impacts of a Museum School Experience on Science Identity

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2016-06

Impact of Australia's Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care program on psychologists

The aim of this paper was to consider the impact on psychologists of one component of the Australian Government's Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care (BOiMHC) program, namely the Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS) component. This supports psychologists and general practitioners (GPs) to work together to provide optimal mental health care, via 102 projects being conducted by Divisions of General Practice. The paper was informed by data from five sources: a project-based minimum dataset; local project evaluation reports; a forum; a survey of projects: and a survey of Australian Psychological Society (APS) members. Taken together, the data from these sources showed that a significant number of psychologists are providing services through the projects, and the majority are finding it a positive and professionally rewarding experience. There is considerable variability regarding models of retaining, locating and referring to psychologists, and there are pros and cons associated with each. The major problem identified by psychologists is the level of remuneration. BOiMHC is currently moving into a new phase of continuation and expansion, and consideration was given to whether the data point to any changes that could be made to the ATAPS projects during this period of transition. In the main, the data suggest that the status quo should be retained, but the issue of remuneration must be addressed.

Forging futures? Engineering in the primary school curriculum

Starting with the research question, "How can the Primary School Curriculum be developed so as to spark Children's Engineering Imaginations from an early age?" this paper sets out to critically analyse the issues around embedding Engineering in the Primary School Curriculum from the age of 5 years. Findings from an exploratory research project suggest that in order to promote the concept of Engineering Education to potential university students (and in doing so begin to address issues around recruitment / retention within Engineering) there is a real need to excite and engage children with the subject from a young age. Indeed, it may be argued that within today's digital society, the need to encourage children to engage with Engineering is vital to the future sustainable development of our society. Whilst UK Government policy documents highlight the value of embedding Engineering into the school curriculum there is little or no evidence to suggest that Engineering has been successfully embedded into the elementary level school curriculum. Building on the emergent findings of the first stage of a longitudinal study, this paper concludes by arguing that Engineering could be embedded into the curriculum through innovative pedagogical approaches which contextualise project-based learning experiences within more traditional subjects including science, history, geography, literacy and numeracy.

Collaborative Learning and Authoring in the Frame of e-Projects

It is presented a research on the application of a collaborative learning and authoring during all delivery phases of e-learning programmes or e-courses offered by educational institutions. The possibilities for modelling of an e-project as a specific management process based on planned, dynamically changing or accidentally arising sequences of learning activities, is discussed. New approaches for project-based and collaborative learning and authoring are presented. Special types of test questions are introduced which allow test generation and authoring based on learners’ answers accumulated in the frame of given e-course. Experiments are carried out in an e-learning environment, named BEST.

Реализация на електронно-базирани курсове в магистърска програма за педагози

Daniela Ivanova Dureva–Tuparova In this paper 3 pedagogical scenarios of e-learning courses are performed. The courses have been implemented in blended mode with the students in Master program “ICT in primary schools”. The courses apply different didactical methods such as “Jigsaw” interactive technique, on-line simulations, project based learning, etc. Some results from study of students’ attitude to the used didactical methods and technology enhanced educational activities are presented and discussed.