Mapping the sustainable development goals into the EDINSOST sustainability map of bachelor engineering degrees

© 2019 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes,creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.This Research to Practice Work in Progress paper presents the work conducted on the use of the Sustainability Map of Bachelor Engineering Degrees (a tool developed by the EDINSOST project) to analyze how Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are developed in each Degree. Over recent years, there has been a growth in the importance of working sustainability based on the SDGs. To identify which learning objective of each SDG corresponds to each learning outcome of the EDINSOST Sustainability Map, a correspondence matrix has been defined. The matrix contains the learning outcomes of the EDINSOST Sustainability Map in its rows, and the 17 SDGs in the columns. The cells of the matrix contain the learning objectives of the SDGs that correspond to each learning outcome of the EDINSOST Sustainability Map. This work in progress presents the first results of the process of mapping the SDGs into the EDINSOST Sustainability Map of Engineering Bachelor Degrees. Early results show that some of the 169 learning objectives are not applicable to Engineering Degrees. Likewise, we have seen that learning objectives have been defined more for policy makers than for engineers, and therefore adaptation is not an easy task. However, the work done has helped us to verify that the EDINSOST Sustainability Map can help in the introduction of the SDGs into the curriculum.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

A learning tool to develop sustainable projects

This paper presents a tool developed to help engineers to design and develop sustainable projects. The tool has been designed to introduce and evaluate the sustainability of engineering projects in general, but here we show its application to assess the final project of an engineering degree. This tool is a guide for students to introduce and estimate the sustainability of their projects, but it also helps teachers to assess them. The tool is based on the Socratic Methodology and consists of a matrix where each cell contains several questions that students must consider during the project development and which they must answer in their project report. A positive or negative mark is assigned to every cell, and the sum of all marks states the project sustainability. However, the result is not as simplistic as a final number, but a descriptive sustainability analysis where questions are answered and every mark justified. A pilot test with some students has obtained good results, but the first Final Degree Project using this methodology will be read in July 2016.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

A methodology to introduce sustainability into the Final Year Project to foster sustainable engineering projects

The introduction of sustainability skills into higher education curricula is a natural effect of the increasing importance of sustainability in our daily lives. Topics like green computing, sustainable design or environmental engineering have become part of the knowledge required by today’s engineers. Furthermore, we strongly believe that the introduction of this skill will eventually enable future engineers to develop sustainable products, services and projects. The Final Year Project is the last academic stage facing students and a step towards their future professional engineering projects. As such, it constitutes a rehearsal for their professional future and an ideal opportunity for reflecting on whether their Final Year Project is sustainable or not, and to what extent. It also provides a good tool for reviewing the lessons learned about sustainability during the degree course and for applying them in a holistic and integrated way. In this paper, we present a guide that allows both students and advisors to think carefully about the sustainability of engineering projects, in particular the Final Year Project.Postprint (author’s final draft

Self-Determination and Quality of Life Promotion in Adults with Generalized Support Needs

Existen evidencias que relacionan la promoción de la autodeterminación en personas con discapacidad con la mejora de su calidad de vida. Si bien se reconoce la importancia del constructo de autodeterminación para todas las personas con discapacidad, independientemente de sus necesidades de apoyo, no disponemos de evidencias que describan intervenciones con personas con necesidades generalizadas de apoyo. El objetivo de este estudio fue implementar una adaptación del Modelo de Enseñanza y Aprendizaje de la Autodeterminación en adultos con discapacidad intelectual y necesidades de apoyo generalizadas. En concreto, 44 mujeres con una media de edad de 51.6 años y un grado medio de discapacidad superior al 75 % formaron parte del estudio (12 en el grupo experimental y 32 en el grupo control). Los resultados señalan una mejora en su autodeterminación y calidad de vida y constituyen una de las pocas evidencias empíricas de la promoción de la autodeterminación y la aplicabilidad del modelo a personas con necesidades generalizadas

Aventuras y desventuras de un informe de sostenibilidad

La introducción de la competencia sostenibilidad en los estudios de ingeniería no está resultando fácil. Paradójicamente, esto sucede en un escenario en el que el desarrollo de la competencia sostenibilidad resulta vital para la formación de una ingeniera, bajo la convicción de que el futuro será sostenible o no será. De hecho, existen numerosos estudios y proyec-tos académicos que defienden la conveniencia de la introducción y desarrollo de la sostenibilidad en los estudios de ingeniería (ABET, TUNING, etc.). Probablemente, la clave de la dificultad de conseguirlo radica en el desconocimiento y falta de experiencia de gran parte del profesorado sobre cómo trabajar esta competencia. En este artículo presentamos una revisión de la guía que el grupo SeeCS-UPC propuso para su aplicación en la Facultat d’Informàtica de Barcelona (FIB) en 2015 sobre cómo elaborar un informe de sostenibilidad del Trabajo de Fin de Grado (TFG). Tras dos años de aplicación, es buen momento para el análisis, la reflexión y la revisión de esta guía, una vez analizadas las experiencias de los partícipes en la elaboración de los TFG (tanto estudiantes, como directoras, ponentes y profesoras de la asignatura de gestión de proyectos de la FIB). Básicamente, nuestro análisis nos lleva a creer que hemos sido demasiado ambiciosas respecto a las pretensiones del informe. En consecuencia, consideramos que es mejor olvidarnos de algunos puntos, simplificar otros y explicar mejor el resto. Todo lo anterior debe ser complementado con formación para las partícipes, tanto estudiantes como profesoras.Postprint (published version

The Sustainability Matrix: A tool for integrating and assessing sustainability in the bachelor and master theses of engineering degrees

It is vital that subjects such as the circular economy, sustainable design, green computing or environmental engineering be included in the engineering curriculum. Education for sustainable development will enable engineers to develop sustainable products and provide sustainable services, thereby leading to a beneficial result for society and making an indispensable contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals achievement. As the last stage for students in academia, Degree Theses (Bachelor’s and Master’s) provide a good tool for reviewing the sustainability competencies developed during the degree, as well as being an opportunity for applying these competencies in a holistic way. In their Degree Theses, students should be able to demonstrate that they are aware of the need to introduce and assess sustainability in their future engineering projects. This paper presents a guide aimed at helping engineering students to design and develop sustainable projects, and analyzes the first results of its use in two schools of the Universitat Polite`cnica de Catalunya—BarcelonaTech. The proposal is based on a tool referred to as “the Sustainability Matrix”, in which cells contain questions that engineering students should take into account when undertaking their Degree Theses. The questions are related to the project development, the project exploitation and the possible risks involved, three aspects in accordance with the sustainability dimensions (economic, environmental and social). The Sustainability Matrix helps students to develop sustainable projects when they graduate, and teachers to assess how sustainability is incorporated across the curriculum in the subjects they teach and in the students’ Degree Theses.This research was funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad under Grant EDU2015-65574-R, and by Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, the Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) and the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) under grant number RTI2018-094982-B-I00, from study design to submission.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

ApoD, a Glia-Derived Apolipoprotein, Is Required for Peripheral Nerve Functional Integrity and a Timely Response to Injury

Producción CientíficaGlial cells are a key element to the process of axonal regeneration, either promoting or inhibiting axonal growth. The study of glial derived factors induced by injury is important to understand the processes that allow or preclude regeneration, and can explain why the PNS has a remarkable ability to regenerate, while the CNS does not. In this work we focus on Apolipoprotein D (ApoD), a Lipocalin expressed by glial cells in the PNS and CNS. ApoD expression is strongly induced upon PNS injury, but its role has not been elucidated. Here we show that ApoD is required for: (1) the maintenance of peripheral nerve function and tissue homeostasis with age, and (2) an adequate and timely response to injury. We study crushed sciatic nerves at two ages using ApoD knock-out and transgenic mice over-expressing human ApoD. The lack of ApoD decreases motor nerve conduction velocity and the thickness of myelin sheath in intact nerves. Following injury, we analyze the functional recovery, the cellular processes, and the protein and mRNA expression profiles of a group of injury-induced genes. ApoD helps to recover locomotor function after injury, promoting myelin clearance, and regulating the extent of angiogenesis and the number of macrophages recruited to the injury site. Axon regeneration and remyelination are delayed without ApoD and stimulated by excess ApoD. The mRNA and protein expression profiles reveal that ApoD is functionally connected in an age-dependent manner to specific molecular programs triggered by injury.2015-09-1

Ecophysiological responses of grapevine rootstocks to water deficit

The use of rootstocks tolerant to soil water deficit is an interesting strategy to face the challenges posed by limited water availability. Currently, several nurseries are breeding new genotypes aiming to improve the water stress tolerance of grapevine, but the physiological basis of its responses under water stress are largely unknown. For this purpose, an ecophysiological assessment of the conventional 110-Richter (110R) and SO4, and the new M1 and M4 rootstocks was carried out in ungrafted potted plants. During one season, these Vitis genotypes were grown under greenhouse conditions and subjected to two water regimes, well-watered (WW) and deficit irrigation (DI). Water potentials of plants under DI down to <-1.4 MPa, and net photosynthesis (AN) <5 μmol CO2m-2s-1 did not cause leaf oxidative stress damage compared to WW conditions in all genotypes. The antioxidant capacity was sufficient to neutralize the mild oxidative stress suffered. Under both water regimes, gravimetric differences in daily water use were observed among genotypes, leading to differences in the biomass of roots and shoots. Under WW conditions, SO4 and 110R were the most vigorous and M1 and M4 the least. However, under DI, SO4 exhibited the greatest reduction in biomass, while 110R showed the lowest. Remarkably, under these conditions, SO4 reached the least negative stem water potential and showed the highest hydraulic conductance values. Conversely, M1 reduced the most stomatal conductance, transpiration and AN. Overall, 110R achieved the highest biomass water use efficiency in response to DI, and SO4 the lowest, while M-rootstocks showed intermediate values. Our results suggest that there are differences in water use regulation among genotypes attributed not only to differences in stomatal regulation but also to plant hydraulic conductance. Therefore, it is hypothesized that differences in genotype performance may be due to root anatomical- morphological differences and to several physiological processes such as growth inhibition, osmotic adjustment, antioxidant production, nutrient translocation capacity, etc. Further studies are needed to confirm these differential ecophysiological responses of Vitis species under water stress, particularly under field and grafted conditions

Definición de un modelo pedagógico en el ámbito jurídico a través de la integración de tres formas de aprendizaje-servicio en torno a la simulación de juicios = Definition of a pedagogical model in the legal field through the integration of three forms of learning-service around simulation of trials

15 páginasDesde hace unos cuantos años, el GID “Aula Judicial de la ULE” viene trabajando con el desarrollo e innovación de las prácticas de las asignaturas de Derecho procesal, siendo siempre la simulación de juicios su actividad “estrella”. Confortados por su buena acogida entre los alumnos participantes, así como por los excelentes resultados académicos arrojados, en los últimos tres cursos, hemos “rediseñado” la simulación para reconducirla hacía el fascinante mundo del “aprendizaje-servicio”. Y la clave para lograrlo ha sido la implementación de tres fórmulas diferentes, pero perfectamente compatibles entre sí (ApS con personas mayores; ApS entre alumnos; y ApS extrauniversitaria), que en el presente artículo se describen pormenorizadamente. Y todo ello, sin desdeñar hacer una breve reseña sobre la manera en la que nos hemos visto obligados a alterar el modelo pedagógico propuesto, para así adecuarlo a la modalidad de enseñanza no presencial impuesta durante el tiempo de duración de la declaración del Estado de Alarma en nuestro país.S

Aula Judicial y Aprendizaje-Servicio: celebración de juicios simulados en la docencia práctica del Derecho Procesal

[ES] El GID “Aula Judicial de la ULE” trabaja con el desarrollo e innovación de las prácticas de las asignaturas de Derecho Procesal, con el que se pretende alcanzar la motivación del alumno convirtiendo el aula (en este caso, la Sala de Vistas) en un auténtico “laboratorio social”, perfectamente idóneo para la ciencia jurídica y para el trabajo en equipo. Se trata de que los alumnos sean protagonistas naturales de su propio proceso de aprendizaje y “visualicen” y comprendan de un modo sencillo y tangible las instituciones procesales que son explicadas durante las clases teóricas de cada una de las asignaturas de Derecho Procesal. A tal fin, la clave ha sido la implantación de los juicios simulados, herramienta docente que permite que los estudiantes se enfrenten a situaciones de conflictos reales que, solo ellos, deben resolver mediante la réplica de un proceso judicial y la orientación del profesorado implicado, reaccionando eficazmente a cualquier cuestión o incidencia que pueda suscitarse durante la sustanciación del proceso judicial planteado. Dicha metodología docente −adaptada con el transcurso del tiempo a las necesidades presentes de cada curso y, muy especialmente, durante el confinamiento decretado a causa de la crisis sanitaria del COVID-19 y las restricciones impuestas a la docencia presencial posteriormente al confinamiento− ha tenido una espectacular acogida entre el alumnado, que la consideran como una de las actividades académicas realizadas más gratificantes durante su formación universitaria y que, en la práctica, se ha traducido en una sustancial mejora de los resultados académicos de los alumnos participantes en la experiencia, permitiéndoles una formación mucho más completa y “práctica” como futuros juristas, al tiempo que fomenta el trabajo en equipo en su máximo grado