Una Nueva experiencia docente en magisterio

En el marco IKD modelo de enseñanza-aprendizaje de la UPV/EHU, la Escuela Universitaria de Magisterio de Bilbao ha firmado el documento EHUNDU por el que se compromete a que todo el profesorado de los cursos de primero de los nuevos grados de Educación Infantil, Educación Primaria y Educación Social participe en la dirección y evaluación de los trabajos interdisciplinares de los módulos en los que se articula la docencia. En particular, en esta comunicación detallamos un nuevo planteamiento didáctico llevado a cabo en los tres grados de la Escuela Universitaria de Magisterio de Bilbao. El fin es doble, por una parte promover el aprendizaje autónomo y significativo del alumnado y por otro maximizar el esfuerzo del profesorado pasando de los planteamientos docentes individuales a la organización en equipos docentes que sean reconocidos por la Universidad como elementos innovadores y potencien la vertiente docente tanto de los profesores con gran experiencia como la de los noveles que progresivamente se vayan incorporando

Hacia el aprendizaje autónomo en la universidad. Elementos para la reflexión y el debate a partir de la experiencia enmarcada en IKD de la UPV-EHU-EHU

La transformación, sin duda, más compleja del proceso de cambio del modelo universitario es la que implica el paso de un modelo centrado en la enseñanza a otro organizado en torno al aprendizaje. Formar estudiantes autónomos, capaces de dirigir y protagonizar su propio proceso de aprendizaje implica, además de un cambio metodológico, la transformación de roles y de mentalidades así como de estructuras organizativas y materiales. La comunicación presenta algunas de las cuestiones claves del proceso de cambio del modelo formativo que han surgido de la experiencia de utilización del modelo ABP en el primer curso del grado de Geografía y Ordenación del Territorio en la Universidad del País Vasco

Propuestas para un aprendizaje activo y autónomo de estudios de ingeniería

El Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior (EEES) es una gran oportunidad para cambiar los viejos modelos de docencia en la universidad, centrados generalmente en la clase magistral. En este trabajo se propone una metodología, centrada en el estudiante, que elimina o reduce sustancialmente la clase magistral, aumentando la interacción del estudiante con el grupo y con el profesor, haciendo énfasis en el trabajo previo a las clases, así como en el aprendizaje basado en problemas (ABP) y en un planteamiento que acerca los contenidos al mundo profesional

Aprenred: red interdisciplinar para el estudio y aplicación del abp en la universidad de zaragoza

AprenRED (http://aprenred.unizar.es) es una red interdisciplinar, formada por 29 profesores de la Universidad de Zaragoza de 14 Departamentos, que imparten su docencia en las Facultades de Veterinaria, Derecho, Ciencias de la Salud y el Deporte, Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales, Centro Politécnico Superior y EUITIZ. El objetivo principal es desarrollar y consolidar la metodología del ABP como herramienta docente de uso cotidiano en la docencia en la Universidad. Partiendo de las experiencias individuales, este grupo pretende servir de foro para favorecer la colaboración y el intercambio de experiencias y discutir sobre aspectos como la elaboración del problema o la gestión del método

ABP en el grau d'infermeria: avaluació de la satisfacció dels professors després de 2 anys d'experiència

L'Aprenentatge Basat en Problemes (ABP) en el grau d'infermeria de l'Escola Universitària d'Infermeria del Mar (EUI Mar) es va posar en pràctica des de l'inici del Grau, en el curs 2009-2010. Donat que és una estratègia incorporada recentment per l'equip, dins d'un procés d'innovació docent integral, i amb l'objectiu de millorar la qualitat, es va dissenyar un qüestionari ad hoc, per tal de conèixer la satisfacció del professorat. En la present comunicació, descriurem la implementació de l'ABP en la nostra institució, i analitzarem els resultats del nivell de satisfacció dels professors que hi han participat

Diseño, implantación y análisis de los resultados de un sistema de evaluación integral o 360º. Una propuesta alternativa en el proceso de evaluación de las competencias de trabajo en equipo

La Comunicación se enmarca dentro del análisis y efectividad que la evaluación 360 grados tiene en el desarrollo de las competencias de trabajo en equipo por parte el alumnado de la asignatura Análisis de Mercado Turístico. En la comunicación se detallan las fases de aplicación del sistema de evaluación así como los resultados obtenidos en la ejecución de la evaluación integral o 360º. En último lugar se presentan las conclusiones de la investigación, las cuales permiten plantear una metodología o sistema de evaluación novedoso y renovado en el que se mejoran y complementan los métodos de valoración de competencias así como los mecanismos formativos adscritos a los mismos

Evaluacion de competencias mediante prácticas dirigidas sobre proyectos de edificación

La Búsqueda de herramientas eficaces para la evaluación de competencias transversales, comunes a diferentes asignaturas de un mismo plan de estudios, es uno de los pilares del nuevo Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior. El trabajo que aquí se presenta pretende mostrar las experiencias realizadas en primer curso del Grado en Ingeniería de Edificación en la Escuela Politécnica de Cuenca mediante prácticas dirigidas sobre edificios y proyectos de edificación. El objetivo principal es obtener estrategias de integración de conocimientos multidisciplinares por parte del alumnado, y de evaluación de competencias genéricas, de forma conjunta por parte del profesorado, a partir del trabajo coordinado sobre un mismo modelo arquitectónico

El Trabajo colaborativo como método de aprendizaje y evaluación. Un estudio aplicado al primer curso de los títulos de grado de la Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales de la Universidad de Alicante

Estudiamos el grado de implementación del trabajo colaborativo en los distintos títulos de Grado de la Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales de la Universidad de Alicante. A través del empleo de una metodología descriptiva, profundizaremos en los distintos aspectos de interés relativos al trabajo colaborativo que se recogen en las fichas oficiales de cada asignatura. Los resultados del estudio nos permitirán conocer cómo se ha implementado el trabajo colaborativo como método de aprendizaje y evaluación, tanto a nivel particular para cada una de las asignaturas analizadas, como a nivel global para las distintas titulaciones que integran nuestra Facultad

Collaboration between infection control and occupational health in three continents: a success story with international impact

Globalization has been accompanied by the rapid spread of infectious diseases, and further strain on working conditions for health workers globally. Post-SARS, Canadian occupational health and infection control researchers got together to study how to better protect health workers, and found that training was indeed perceived as key to a positive safety culture. This led to developing information and communication technology (ICT) tools. The research conducted also showed the need for better workplace inspections, so a workplace audit tool was also developed to supplement worker questionnaires and the ICT. When invited to join Ecuadorean colleagues to promote occupational health and infection control, these tools were collectively adapted and improved, including face-to-face as well as on-line problem-based learning scenarios. The South African government then invited the team to work with local colleagues to improve occupational health and infection control, resulting in an improved web-based health information system to track incidents, exposures, and occupational injury and diseases. As the H1N1 pandemic struck, the online infection control course was adapted and translated into Spanish, as was a novel skill-building learning tool that permits health workers to practice selecting personal protective equipment. This tool was originally developed in collaboration with the countries from the Caribbean region and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Research from these experiences led to strengthened focus on building capacity of health and safety committees, and new modules are thus being created, informed by that work. The products developed have been widely heralded as innovative and interactive, leading to their inclusion into “toolkits” used internationally. The tools used in Canada were substantially improved from the collaborative adaptation process for South and Central America and South Africa. This international collaboration between occupational health and infection control researchers led to the improvement of the research framework and development of tools, guidelines and information systems. Furthermore, the research and knowledge-transfer experience highlighted the value of partnership amongst Northern and Southern researchers in terms of sharing resources, experiences and knowledge.

Establishing a community of practice of researchers, practitioners, policy-makers and communities to sustainably manage environmental health risks in Ecuador

The Sustainably Managing Environmental Health Risk in Ecuador project was launched in 2004 as a partnership linking a large Canadian university with leading Cuban and Mexican institutes to strengthen the capacities of four Ecuadorian universities for leading community-based learning and research in areas as diverse as pesticide poisoning, dengue control, water and sanitation, and disaster preparedness. By 2009, train-the-trainer project initiation involved 27 participatory action research Master’s theses in 15 communities where 1200 community learners participated in the implementation of associated interventions. This led to establishment of innovative Ecuadorian-led master’s and doctoral programs, and a Population Health Observatory on Collective Health, Environment and Society for the Andean region based at the Universidad Andina Simon Bolivar. Building on this network, numerous initiatives were begun, such as an internationally funded research project to strengthen dengue control in the coastal community of Machala, and establishment of a local community eco-health centre focusing on determinants of health near Cuenca. Alliances of academic and non-academic partners from the South and North provide a promising orientation for learning together about ways of addressing negative trends of development. Assessing the impacts and sustainability of such processes, however, requires longer term monitoring of results and related challenges.

Conversations around homework: links to parental mental health, family characteristics and child psychological functioning

Parents are increasingly expected to supplement their children's school-based learning by providing support for children's homework. However, parents' capacities to provide such support may vary and may be limited by the experience of depression. This may have implications for child development. In the course of a prospective, longitudinal study of children of postnatally depressed and healthy mothers, we observed mothers (N = 88) and fathers (N = 78) at home during maths homework interactions with their 8-year-old children. The quality of parental communication was rated and analysed in relation to child functioning. The quality of communication of each of the parents was related to their mental state, social class and IQ. While postnatal depression was not directly related to child development, there was some evidence of the influence of maternal depression occurring in the child's school years. Different aspects of parental communication with the child showed specific associations with different child outcomes, over and above the influence of family characteristics. In particular, child school attainment and IQ were associated with parental strategies to encourage representational thinking and mastery motivation, whereas child behavioural adjustment at school and self-esteem were linked to the degree of parental emotional support and low levels of coercion. Notably, the influence of maternal homework support was more strongly related to child outcome than was paternal support, a pattern reflected in mothers' greater involvement in children's schools and school-related activities. Some parents may need guidance in how to support their children's homework if it is to be of benefit to child functioning.

Precipitation and latent heating distributions from satellite passive microwave radiometry. Part I: improved method and uncertainties

A revised Bayesian algorithm for estimating surface rain rate, convective rain proportion, and latent heating profiles from satellite-borne passive microwave radiometer observations over ocean backgrounds is described. The algorithm searches a large database of cloud-radiative model simulations to find cloud profiles that are radiatively consistent with a given set of microwave radiance measurements. The properties of these radiatively consistent profiles are then composited to obtain best estimates of the observed properties. The revised algorithm is supported by an expanded and more physically consistent database of cloud-radiative model simulations. The algorithm also features a better quantification of the convective and nonconvective contributions to total rainfall, a new geographic database, and an improved representation of background radiances in rain-free regions. Bias and random error estimates are derived from applications of the algorithm to synthetic radiance data, based upon a subset of cloud-resolving model simulations, and from the Bayesian formulation itself. Synthetic rain-rate and latent heating estimates exhibit a trend of high (low) bias for low (high) retrieved values. The Bayesian estimates of random error are propagated to represent errors at coarser time and space resolutions, based upon applications of the algorithm to TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) data. Errors in TMI instantaneous rain-rate estimates at 0.5°-resolution range from approximately 50% at 1 mm h−1 to 20% at 14 mm h−1. Errors in collocated spaceborne radar rain-rate estimates are roughly 50%–80% of the TMI errors at this resolution. The estimated algorithm random error in TMI rain rates at monthly, 2.5° resolution is relatively small (less than 6% at 5 mm day−1) in comparison with the random error resulting from infrequent satellite temporal sampling (8%–35% at the same rain rate). Percentage errors resulting from sampling decrease with increasing rain rate, and sampling errors in latent heating rates follow the same trend. Averaging over 3 months reduces sampling errors in rain rates to 6%–15% at 5 mm day−1, with proportionate reductions in latent heating sampling errors.

Measuring the value of “all play and no work”: can rigorous assessment of simulation games drive innovative teaching in construction?

The construction field is dynamic and dominated by complex, ill-defined problems for which myriad possible solutions exist. Teaching students to solve construction-related problems requires an understanding of the nature of these complex problems as well as the implementation of effective instructional strategies to address them. Traditional approaches to teaching construction planning and management have long been criticized for presenting students primarily with well-defined problems - an approach inconsistent with the challenges encountered in the industry. However, growing evidence suggests that employing innovative teaching approaches, such as interactive simulation games, offers more active, hands-on and problem-based learning opportunities for students to synthesize and test acquired knowledge more closely aligned with real-life construction scenarios. Simulation games have demonstrated educational value in increasing student problem solving skills and motivation through critical attributes such as interaction and feedback-supported active learning. Nevertheless, broad acceptance of simulation games in construction engineering education remains limited. While recognizing benefits, research focused on the role of simulation games in educational settings lacks a unified approach to developing, implementing and evaluating these games. To address this gap, this paper provides an overview of the challenges associated with evaluating the effectiveness of simulation games in construction education that still impede their wide adoption. An overview of the current status, as well as the results from recently implemented Virtual Construction Simulator (VCS) game at Penn State provide lessons learned, and are intended to guide future efforts in developing interactive simulation games to reach their full potential.

Educational simulation in construction: the virtual construction simulator

Students in the architecture, engineering, and construction disciplines are often challenged with visualizing and understanding the complex spatial and temporal relationships involved in designing and constructing three-dimensional (3D) structures. An evolving body of research traces the use of educational computer simulations to enhance student learning experiences through testing real-world scenarios and the development of student decision-making skills. Ongoing research at Pennsylvania State University aims to improve engineering education in construction through interactive construction project learning applications in an immersive virtual reality environment. This paper describes the first- and second-generation development of the Virtual Construction Simulator (VCS), a tool that enables students to simultaneously create and review construction schedules through 3D model interaction. The educational value and utility of VCS was assessed through surveys, focus group interviews, and a student exercise conducted in a construction management class. Results revealed VCS is a valuable and effective four-dimensional (4D) model creation and schedule review application that fosters collaborative work and greater student task focus. This paper concludes with a discussion of the findings and the future development steps of the VCS educational simulation

The cyber challenge: a robotics project to enthuse

Robotics is a key theme in many of the degrees offered in Systems Engineering. The topic has proved useful in attracting students to the University, and it also provides the basis of much practical and project work throughout the degrees. This paper focuses on one aspect, a Part 2 project in which students doing various degrees work together to develop a mobile robot which is controlled remotely to navigate an environment and perform specific tasks. In addition to providing practical experience of relevant academic topics, this project helps to contribute to key teaching and learning priorities including problem based learning, motivation and important employability skills.