The teaching of ethics in occupational risks prevention through the debate on ethical dilemmas

[EN] It seems reasonable to think that ethics and occupational risk prevention always go hand in hand. However, very little is known about the International Code of Ethics for Occupational Health Professionals, whose third edition was published in 2014 by the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH). Moreover, some circumstances in occupational risk prevention can lead to controversial issues and ethical dilemmas. Despite this, most occupational risk prevention master¿s studies do not include ethics in professional practice matters. This paper presents the teaching experiences in professional practice ethics workshops in the Master¿s Degree in Occupational Risks Prevention of the Universitat Politècnica de València. In these workshops, ethical issues are included in their curricula, and ethical dilemmas are discussed through academic debates. The results of the experience were positive and encouraging. The students learn to open their minds to a different point of view and understand the problems they will have to face in their professional careers.Pellicer, TM.; López-Mateu, V.; Gimenez-Carbo, E. (2022). The teaching of ethics in occupational risks prevention through the debate on ethical dilemmas. IATED. 10039-10045. https://doi.org/10.21125/edulearn.2022.2426100391004

Revisiting the student outcome "ethical, environmental and professional responsibility" within the Civil Engineering Bachelor Degree

[EN] In 2013, an institutional project was launched at Universitat Politècnica de València to ensure that all graduates, in addition to acquiring the specific technological skills of their degrees, would also acquire a series of essential soft skills for developing their profession in an excellent way. At present, there are already graduates who have completed the degree with the integration of generic outcomes; therefore, it is time to review the success that the project has achieved. One of these generic outcomes is "Ethical, environmental and professional responsibility". In this work, we develop a diagnosis of the current state of this competence in the civil engineering BSc degree programme, and we analyse the level of acquisition of the competence by students. For this purpose, the subjects in which this generic competence is worked on and evaluated will be analysed, studying how lecturers introduce it within different activities to collect evidences of the competence level of acquisition. We also studied whether the results obtained respond to the expected learning goals. The diagnosis will be completed by collecting opinions from last year students, as well as by interviewing lecturers responsible for these subjects. The final objective of the project will be to estimate at what extent the students have acquired this competence upon graduation and to propose improvement measures if necessary.Gimenez-Carbo, E.; Gómez-Martín, ME.; Andrés-Doménech, I. (2020). Revisiting the student outcome "ethical, environmental and professional responsibility" within the Civil Engineering Bachelor Degree. SEFI. 802-809. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/177483S80280

Characterization of Glass Powder from Glass Recycling Process Waste and Preliminary Testing

[EN] This work studies the possibility of incorporating different proportions of glass powder from the waste glass (rejected material called fine cullet) produced during the glass recycling process into the manufacturing of mortar and concrete. For this purpose, the material is characterized by its chemical composition and pozzolanic activity, and the shape and size of its particles are studied. It is then incorporated as a substitute for cement into the manufacturing of mortar and concrete at 25% and 40% of cement weight, and its effect on setting times, consistency, and mechanical strength is analyzed. Its behavior as a slow pozzolan is verified, and the possibility of incorporating it into concrete is ratified by reducing its cement content and making it a more sustainable material.This research was funded by Agencia Valenciana de la Innovacio (AVI) grant number INNEST/2020/85.Gimenez-Carbo, E.; Soriano Martinez, L.; Roig-Flores, M.; Serna Ros, P. (2021). Characterization of Glass Powder from Glass Recycling Process Waste and Preliminary Testing. Materials. 14(11):1-15. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14112971S115141

Boosting the sustainable development goals in a civil engineering bachelor degree program

This article is (c) Emerald Group Publishing and permission has been granted for this version to appear here (please insert the web address here). Emerald does not grant permission for this article to be further copied/distributed or hosted elsewhere without the express permission from Emerald Group Publishing Limited.[EN] Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the potential for implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into the civil engineering bachelor degree in the School of Civil Engineering at Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (Spain). Design/methodology/approach All the 2019/2020 course syllabi were analyzed to diagnose at which extent each subject within the program curriculum contributes to achieving the different SDGs. Findings The results show a promising starting point as 75% of the courses address or have potential to address targets covering the 2030 Agenda. This paper also presents actions launched by the School of Civil Engineering to boost the SDGs into the civil engineering curriculum. Originality/value This paper presents a rigorous and systematic method that can be carried out in different bachelor degrees to find the subjects that have the potential to incorporate the SDGs into their program. This paper also presents actions launched by the Civil Engineering School to boost the SDGs into the civil engineering curriculum.This innovative educational project and the article processing charge of this paper were funded by Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, through the project PIME/19-20/159 "Incorporacion de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible en el plan de estudios del Grado en Ingenieria Civil". The authors thank the support and cooperation given by individuals, organizations, and companies that collaborated in the different transversal activities, as well as to the instructors who gave us feedback on the reviewing of their course syllabi.Gómez-Martín, ME.; Gimenez-Carbo, E.; Andrés-Doménech, I.; Pellicer, E. (2021). Boosting the sustainable development goals in a civil engineering bachelor degree program. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. 22(8):125-145. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-02-2021-0065S12514522

The Effect Of Campus Praktikum On The Choice Of University Studies

In some Spanish universities in recent years, there has been a decrease in the number of students, mainly due to the drop in the birth rate and the increase in the number of universities throughout the country. In addition, the number of (unknown)bachelor\u27s degrees that can be studied at university has also increased. For these reasons, since 2010, an activity called Campus Praktikum has been carried out at the Universitat Politècnica de València to bring the university studies taught at this centre closer to secondary school students. The aim is to show the studies taught at the UPV (mainly engineering studies), to find out about the professions linked to these studies and to be able to have testimonials from university students who are currently studying. During one week, secondary school students take part in workshops related to university studies, which give them an in-depth understanding of the content of their studies and university life. The main objective is to increase the number of students in general and, above all, to increase the number of women who choose the UPV for their university studies. The paper describes what the activities of the Campus Praktikum consist of and compares the opinions obtained through surveys of students who enjoyed the activity right after finishing the campus and the information obtained from the student\u27s registration at the university. With all this information conclusion will be drawn, analysing the actual effect of this type of activity on the student\u27s choice of university studies

Learning ethical, environmental and professional responsibility at Universitat Politècnica de València. Where are we?

[EN] This paper presents a study on the development of the cross-curricular learning outcome (CCLO) "Ethical, environmental and professional responsibility" for students of different Bachelor's Degrees taught at Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (Spain). The work involved in the development of this learning outcome entails great complexity, given the double dimension of responsibility that it involves. At the end of their training at the university, students are expected to show ethical, environmental, and professional responsibility towards themselves and others. Interviews have been conducted with lecturers who work and assess this outcome in their subjects, most/all of them related to science and engineering. The objective was to identify the learning approach used in the different subjects to guarantee the acquisition of this CCLO by the students. A focus group has also been carried out with students to determine the importance they give to this learning outcome, and to know their degree of satisfaction with the training received. The methodology used to obtain the data from lecturers and students and to process the information to get a precise diagnosis is fully described in the paper. Results are satisfactory to some extent: most of the lecturers carry out appropriate activities and most students achieve the expected proficiency level. Finally, recommendations are given to improve the development of this cross-curricular learning outcome.This innovative educational project and the APC of this paper were funded by Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, through the project PIME/20-21/219 "Evaluacion del nivel de adquisicion de la CT07 Responsabilidad etica, medioambiental y profesional en los estudios de grado de la UPV. Propuestas de mejora".Gimenez-Carbo, E.; Gómez-Martín, ME.; Fenollosa Forner, EJ.; Cabedo Fabres, M.; Coll-Aliaga, E.; Andrés-Doménech, I.; Sebastiá-Frasquet, M.... (2021). Learning ethical, environmental and professional responsibility at Universitat Politècnica de València. Where are we?. Sustainability. 13(17):1-18. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179991S118131

La introducción de la responsabilidad profesional en los estudios de Grado en Ingeniería en Obras Públicas.

[Otros] The paper presents the Innovation and Improvement Education Project (PIME) entitled "The introduction of professional responsibility in the studies of Civil Engineering degree (GIOP) " developed during 2013-2014 in the School of Civil Engineering of the UPV. The aforementioned PIME aims to get students of the GIOP, understand and assume the ethical and professional responsibility of the activity of the Civil Engineer. The project explains how to introduce this competence in the GIOP, as well as how to evaluate the acquisition of such competence. This will work in several core subjects of the curriculum situated along the last three years of the degree, pose moral dilemmas related to the subject in which there are scheduled and then , the students complete a questionnaire to assess their work. Based on the results will be discussed if this methodology is appropriate to introduce competence Professional Responsibility, or whether other actions are necessary to achieve the objective[ES] El trabajo presenta el Proyecto de Innovación y Mejora Educativa (PIME) titulado ¿La introducción de la responsabilidad profesional en los estudios de Grado en Ingeniería en Obras Públicas¿ desarrollado durante el curso 2013-214 en la Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos de la UPV. El objetivo del citado PIME es conseguir que los alumnos del GIOP, comprendan y asuman la responsabilidad ética y profesional de la actividad del Ingeniero Civil. El proyecto explica un modo de introducir dicha competencia en el GIOP, así como el modo de evaluar la adquisición de dicha competencia. Para ello se trabajará en varias asignaturas obligatorias del plan de estudios situadas a lo largo de los tres últimos cursos, planteando dilemas morales relacionados con la asignatura en la que se programan y posteriormente los alumnos rellenaran un cuestionario para evaluar el trabajo realizado. A partir de los resultados se discutirá si esta metodología es la adecuada para introducir la competencia Responsabilidad Profesional, o si son necesarias otras acciones para conseguir el objetivo.Gimenez-Carbo, E.; Sanz-Benlloch, MA.; Lozano-Torró, A.; Martí Vargas, JR.; Alcalá-González, J.; Catalá Alís, J.; Cortés Gimeno, R.... (2014). La introducción de la responsabilidad profesional en los estudios de Grado en Ingeniería en Obras Públicas. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1166-1175. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/168747S1166117

Assessment of Ethical, Environmental and Professional Responsibility Training of Civil Engineers

[EN] The paper presents and analyses how the generic outcome ``Ethical, environmental and professional responsibility¿¿ is achieved in the bachelor¿s degree in civil engineering at Universitat Polite`cnica de Vale`ncia (Spain). The analysis is based on the study of activities and evidences generated when assessing this outcome, interviews with responsible lecturers for courses developing this generic outcome and opinions from final year students. The aim of the study is to determine whether the activities carried out during the bachelor¿s degree ensure that students have been trained enough to achieve the two proficiency levels of this generic outcome. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations established to ensure that all graduated students achieve this essential learning outcome.Authors want to express their gratitude to lecturers responsible for the control point subjects, for their full collaboration and to students who participated in the group dynamics, for sharing their opinions and thoughts. This innovative educational project and the APC of this paper were funded by Universitat Politeènica de València, through the project PIME/20-21/219 ``Evaluación del nivel de adquisición de la CT07 Responsabilidad ética, medioambiental y profesional en los estudios de grado de la UPV. Propuestas de mejora.¿¿Gimenez-Carbo, E.; Gómez-Martín, ME.; Andrés-Doménech, I. (2022). Assessment of Ethical, Environmental and Professional Responsibility Training of Civil Engineers. The International Journal of Engineering Education. 38(3):621-630. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/19045362163038

Geopolymer Designed with Pumice Stone from Ecuador

[EN] The present investigation focuses on the creation of a geopolymer, using pumice stone from Ecuador as a precursor material. The chemical composition of the pumice and the alkaline activation of the geopolymer with NaOH and Na2SiO3 were validated through a multi-criteria analysis that was used to identify the best mine among the ones located in Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, and Tungurahua states. Through laboratory tests, it was obtained that the best pumice stone had the presence of aluminum oxide and silicon in its composition, as well as amorphous particles, with a size of 40 to 50µm. The percentage of aluminum that was found in the mines of Cotopaxi, Imbabura, and Tungurahua states was 0.60%, 0.68%, and 1.50% respectively. In the fineness modulus tests, it stands out that more than 80% passes the 75µm sieve. In regards to the activation of the geopolymer, the average resistance of the deposits was Cotopaxi 22.60 MPa, Imbabura 23.03 MPa, and Tungurahua 23.03 MPa. In the geopolymer concrete, the average resistance values of each of the deposits were: Cotopaxi 4.21 MPa, Imbabura 8.05 MPa, and Tungurahua 8.67 MPa. The multicriteria analysis showed that the best option to create geopolymer concrete comes from the mine located in Tungurahua. It should be noted that the increase in NaOH concentration, maintaining the ratio of 2.4 in geopolymer cubes between Na2SiO3/NaOH as an activating solution, induces an increase in compressive strength. The concrete made from the Tungurahua mine, made up of 50% geopolymer and 50% aggregates. It is the one that showed the best properties with a compressive strength of 16.16 MPa, cured in an oven for 24 hours and at a temperature of 80°C. The design of geopolymer concrete that replaces the use of portland cement is the first step to reduce the pollution produced by hydraulic cement.Andrade, A.; Castillo, T.; Paredes, M.; Gimenez-Carbo, E.; García, V. (2022). Geopolymer Designed with Pumice Stone from Ecuador. Civil Engineering and Architecture. 10(5):1864-1880. https://doi.org/10.13189/cea.2022.1005131864188010

Concrete dosage: from trial-and-error to the use of personal computers, which method is better for university students?

[EN] Computer tools have been evolving at an incredible speed in education, especially at the university level. Twenty-five years ago, in university education, there were just beginning to be computer practices based mainly on tools such as Excel in experimental university careers. Today, thanks to the advance in technology, the radiography of universities are very different. Most students come to school daily with their laptops and tablets to college. They are part of the generations called "digital natives.¿ As higher education teachers, we cannot be oblivious to this reality, and we must rethink how to adapt teachings to the daily use of computer technologies. It also means being closer to the procedure these students will follow later when they are professionals in their field. This paper deals with the work done by the Construction Materials unit of the Civil Engineering School to adapt the dosage of concrete to the use of Excel, which was carried out with manual calculations using a calculator until this academic year. Expressly, the use of the Excel spreadsheet was limited to obtaining aggregate granulometric curves from the mixture of several of them so that they were as similar as possible to a series of theoretical curves through the use of equitable adjustments based on the use of a spreadsheet. The teacher's challenge in the classroom is twofold. On the one hand, he has the task of making the students understand the factors and limitations to be considered when carrying out concrete batching. On the other hand, it is to explain the use of a specific tool of the Microsoft "Excel" software to know how a least squares adjustment can be carried out. The present work explains in detail the challenges faced by the teachers, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of moving from a manual procedure (slower, more laborious, and with more room for thought) to a computerized process (more automatic and faster). The latter is how future civil engineers will carry out their work. The advantages of using this type of tool and the main problems detected in the students related to understanding the procedure they are carrying out will be indicated.Gimenez-Carbo, E.; Mozo, C.; Coll Carrillo, H.; Soriano Martinez, L. (2022). Concrete dosage: from trial-and-error to the use of personal computers, which method is better for university students?. IATED. 5138-5142. https://doi.org/10.21125/iceri.2022.12515138514