Strengthening communication skills in an innovative context of engineering project management learning

This document presents an innovative, formal educational initiative that is aimed at enhancing the development of engineering students’ specific competences when studying Project Management (PM) subject. The framework of the experience combines (1) theoretical concepts, (2) the development of a real-case project carried out by multidisciplinary groups of three different universities, (3) the use of software web 2.0 tools and (4) group and individual assignments of students that play different roles (project managers and team members). Under this scenario, the study focuses on monitoring the communication competence in the ever growing PM virtual environment. Factors such as corporal language, technical means, stage, and PM specific vocabulary among others have been considered in order to assess the students’ performance on this issue. As a main contribution, the paper introduces an ad-hoc rubric that, based on previous investigations, has been adapted and tested for the first time to this new and specific context. Additionally, the research conducted has provided some interesting findings that suggest further actions to improve and better define future rubrics, oriented to communication or even other competences. As specific PM subject concerns, it has been detected that students playing the role of Project Managers strengthen their competences more than those ones that play the role of Team Members. It has also been detected that students have more difficulty assimilating concepts related to risk and quality management. However those concepts related with scope, time or cost areas of knowledge have been better assimilated by the students.

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.

Development of a method of assessment of the problem-solving competence at the technical University of Madrid.

The competence evaluation promoted by the European High Education Area entails a very important methodological change that requires guiding support to help lecturers carry out this new and complex task. In this regard, the Technical University of Madrid (UPM, by its Spanish acronym) has financed a series of coordinated projects with the objective of developing a model for teaching and evaluating core competences and providing support to lecturers. This paper deals with the problem-solving competence. The first step has been to elaborate a guide for teachers to provide a homogeneous way to asses this competence. This guide considers several levels of acquisition of the competence and provides the rubrics to be applied for each one. The guide has been subsequently validated with several pilot experiences. In this paper we will explain the problem-solving assessment guide for teachers and will show the pilot experiences that has been carried out. We will finally justify the validity of the method to assess the problem-solving competence.

Development of a method of assessment of the problem-solving competency at the Technical University of Madrid

The competence evaluation promoted by the European High Education Area entails a very important methodological change that requires guiding support to help lecturers carry out this new and complex task. In this regard, the Technical University of Madrid (UPM, by its Spanish acronym) has financed a series of coordinated projects with the objective of developing a model for teaching and evaluating core competences and providing support to lecturers. This paper deals with the problem solving competence. The first step has been to elaborate a guide for teachers to provide an homogeneous way to asses this competence. This guide considers several levels of acquisition of the competence and provided the rubrics to be applied for each one. The guide has been subsequently validated with several pilot experiences. In this paper we will explain the problem-solving assessment guide for teachers and will show the pilot experiences that has been carried out. We will finally justify the validity of the method to assess the problem solving competence.

Improving engineering students' communication competence: designing innovative learning strategies

This research presents an innovative and formal educational initiative that is aimed at enhancing the development of engineering students’ specific competencies when studying Engineering Project Management subject. The framework of the experience combines theoretical concepts, the development of a real-case project carried out by multidisciplinary groups of three different universities, the use of software web 2.0 tools, and group and individual assignments of students that play different roles (project managers and team members). Under this scenario, this paper focuses on monitoring the communication competence in the ever growing Project Management virtual environment. Factors such as corporal language, technical means, stage, and management specific vocabulary among others have been considered in order to assess the students’ performance on this issue. As a main contribution, the paper introduces an ad-hoc rubric that, based on previous investigations, has been adapted and tested to this specific context. Additionally, the research conducted has provided some interesting findings that suggest further actions to improve and better define future rubrics, oriented to communication or even other competencies. As specific Project Management subject concerns, it has been detected that students playing the role of Project Managers strengthen their competencies more than those ones that play the role of Team Members. It has also been detected that students have more difficulty assimilating concepts related to risk and quality management. However those concepts related with areas of knowledge like scope, time or cost have been better assimilated by the students.

Explicando el mundo en el que vivimos con mapas: propuesta de aprendizaje cartográfico

La cartografía se considera una herramienta útil para formar personas y educar a futuros ciudadanos. La enseñanza mediante mapas brinda la posibilidad a los estudiantes de que desarrollen habilidades de interpretación, comprensión y representación de su propio entorno, adquiriendo conocimiento geográfico espacial. El presente estudio se basa en analizar mediante encuestas, dirigidas al profesorado y alumnado de Educación Secundaria y Bachillerato, qué es lo que se hace en las aulas con los mapas, cuándo y cómo se usan, cuáles son las percepciones y conocimientos de los estudiantes. En consecuencia se pretende evitar algunos de los problemas detectados y ayudar a docentes y estudiantes en la enseñanza y aprendizaje de los conocimientos cartográficos mediante el uso de esta propuesta didáctica. Para ello se elabora una rúbrica como instrumento de evaluación con pautas en la elaboración de los mapas. Reafirmando así la hipótesis la cual la cartografía es una disciplina necesaria que impulsa competencias y capacidades cartográficas, siempre y cuando exista un aprendizaje guiado, progresivo, sistemático y adaptado.

Sermones pulcherrimi : manuscript, [between 1400 and 1450]

Contains Henricus de Friemar's Sermones de tempore (sometimes attributed to his son of the same name) and extracts of Gerardus de Fracheto's Vitae fratrum ordinis praedicatorum, among other sermons, glosses, and an index arranged by subject.

Kitāb al-Jaʻrāfīyah : manuscript, undated

Probably Zuhrī's third edition of the "al-Ṣūrah al-Maʼmūnīya" (al-Maʼmūn's "Mappa Mundi").

Zafer-nâme / li-Karaçelebizade Abdülaziz Efendi : manuscript, 1723 or 4

A historical account of the Yerevan and Baghdad campaigns of Murād IV (r. 1623-1640). Composed in eight chapters. Book begins in 1044 AH [1635 AD] with the army setting out from Üsküdar and ends in 1049 AH [1640 AD] with the sultna's return to Istanbul after conclusion of Kasrışirin Treaty.

Dîvân-ı Yusuf Nâbî : manuscript, 1749

Title from caption.

İbret-nâme : manuscript, 1572

A work in two parts on legendary accounts of holy persons and stories with moral significance.

[ Book of predictions] : manuscript, 1785-1812

Book of yearly predictions about the sultan, his family, ministers, grand mufti, etc. Records for years 1199-1227 AH [1785-1812 AD]. Year run from nevrūz to nevrūz (beginning of spring). Predictions concern political affairs and state of health of various individuals. Predictions about weather conditions and the eclipses also included. Separate section at end of each year's entry breaks down predictions into months. Manuscript apparently the author's working copy and probably the sole copy.

Ḥusāmkātī fī al-manṭiq : manuscript, undated

Commentary on the Īsāghūjī [Isagoge], "Introduction to logic", by al-Abharī.

Vesperæ breviarii romani cantu chorali auctæ : cum officiis sanctorum per pontifices novissime concessis /

Rubrics in red.

Rituale Romanum Pauli V Pontificis Maximi jussu editum, a Benedicto XIV et a Pio X castigatum et auctum cui accedunt benedictionum et instructionum appendices duae.

Includes indexes.