Knowledge transfer in higher education institutions focused on entrepreneurial activities of electronic instrumentation

Although society, governments and the business sector are increasingly demanding that Higher Academic Centers translate their innovative potential into products and services that affect society, little is known or done about the entrepreneurial skills that both lecturers and students need in the context of electronic engineering academic degrees. Inevitably, the fact that some teachers lack certain skill sets will have a negative impact on some students’ professional careers. This article demonstrates a range of initiatives in knowledge transfer which have been carried out over more than 30 years by the university research team making the proposal. Such initiatives have allowed the integration of, not only creative thinking, but also other skills differing from traditional teaching and which can help students to successfully compete for jobs requiring higher qualifications. Following the methodology of a case study within the framework of the Polytechnic University School of Vilanova i la Geltrú (EPSEVG) of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), the novelty of the research lies in its focus on the results obtained. In the 1990s, entrepreneurial initiatives encouraged the creation of reference laboratories and the teaching of innovative subjects in the field of virtual instrumentation. Years later, this teaching activity would be complemented by the launch of lines of research/technology transfer. It should be noted that, in its initial stages, this entrepreneurial trajectory was characterized by limited material and human resources, but thanks to the discovery of little-explored areas of activity (niches), opting for working in cooperation networks (sciencetechnology symbiosis), and the entrepreneurial profile of the members of the research team, it has been possible to gain a space in the research/development of marine technologies in the national and European context, as stated in the text. This empirical research has contributed significantly to shaping a new degree in Marine Sciences and Technologies. Likewise, the results of this study reveal that a significant number of electronic engineering students have acquired entrepreneurial skills by engaging in teaching and research and development activities in different Higher Academic Centers.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Educación inclusiva en Colombia y la Región del Caribe colombiano: Estrategias para mostrar

El presente artículo forma parte de los resultado de un proceso de investigación llevado a cabo por el Grupo de Investigación Andrés Bello de la Corporación Universitaria Rafael Núñez CURN, cuyo objetivo  general se orientó por mostrar y analizar las estrategias que en Colombia se han diseñado y actualmente se aplican para la Educación  Inclusiva desde la perspectiva socio-jurídica de la  filiación. De manera específica la intención del análisis se concentró en las estrategias de lo que en Colombia se viene desarrollando en materia de inclusión en el sector educativo.  Para tal fin se dispuso de una serie de técnicas de recolección de información y se planteó un diseño metodológico orientado por el método inductivo, con un tipo de investigación que retomó el enfoque de los postulados de la teoría crítica

Justicia y eficacia de la ley 1774 de 2016 en el trato de los humanos con los animales

With the implementation of shelters to care for animals in the main cities of the country, the approach to good treatment with animals, called by current legislation, "sentient beings" began in Colombia. The general objective of this article was to analyze the considerations and interpretations that thinkers have made about justice (philosophers, sociologists and jurists), and the effectiveness of Law 1774 of 2016 in the treatment of humans with animals In Colombia. The specific objectives were identified by: review within the Colombian legal system aspects related to the protection of animals and the socio-legal consequences that this has generated; discern about the effectiveness of Law 1774 of 2016 regarding the relations of good treatment towards animals in the Colombian territory. The method used in this investigation was the Inductive, because it started from the understanding of the concept of justice towards the effectiveness of a legal standard such as Law 1774 of 2016 for the knowledge of the application of procedures in order to improve the conditions related to the treatment of animals. It is part of the investigations with an analytical - descriptive and qualitative approach, basically in those that fall within the scope of the Historical / Hermeneutical paradigm. The type of research defined is qualitative in nature with the use of techniques and strategies such as text analysis, interview, survey and observation. The conclusions reached in the article show the social and legal implications that are generated from animal abuse by humans, caused by the ignorance of the disadvantageous circumstances of the latter in terms of the ethics of care, protection and animal health.El presente artículo de investigación pretende demostrar que con la implementación de Albergues para cuidar animales en las ciudades principales del país, se iniciaba en Colombia el acercamiento hacia el buen trato con los animales, denominados por la legislación actual, “seres sintientes”. El objetivo general en este artículo hizo referencia a analizar  las consideraciones y las interpretaciones que sobre la justicia han hecho pensadores (filósofos, sociólogos y juristas), y la eficacia de la Ley 1774 de 2016 en las relaciones de trato de los humanos con los animales en Colombia. Los objetivos específicos se identificaron por: revisar en el interior del ordenamiento jurídico colombiano los aspectos  relacionados  con  la protección hacia  los animales y las consecuencias socio jurídicas que ello ha generado; discernir sobre la eficacia de la Ley 1774 de 2016 con respecto a la relaciones del buen trato hacia los animales en el territorio colombiano. El Método utilizado en esta investigación fue el Inductivo, porque partió de la comprensión del concepto de justicia hacia la eficacia de una norma jurídica como la Ley 1774 de 2016 para el conocimiento de  la aplicación de procedimientos de la misma en procura del mejoramiento de las condiciones relacionadas con el trato hacia los animales. Se enmarca en las investigaciones con enfoque analítico - descriptivo y cualitativo, básicamente en las que se inscriben en el ámbito del paradigma Histórico/Hermenéutico. El tipo de investigación definido es de naturaleza cualitativa con la utilización de técnicas y estrategias como el análisis de texto, la entrevista, la encuesta y la observación. Las conclusiones a las que se llegan en el artículo muestran las  implicaciones sociales y jurídicas que se generan a partir del maltrato animal por parte de los humanos, ocasionado por el desconocimiento de las circunstancias desventajosas de estos últimos en cuanto a la ética del cuidado, protección y salud de los animales

Femtosecond laser direct inscription of 3D photonic devices in Er/Yb-doped oxyfluoride nano-glass ceramics

[EN]The fabrication of optical waveguides by direct femtosecond laser irradiation in Er3+/Yb3+ oxyfluoride nano-glass ceramics is investigated. Following the strategy of single line irradiation, a wide range of laser parameters can be used to obtain single-mode waveguides with nearly-gaussian modal profiles, in the visible and near-infrared. Measured propagation loss is 1.6 dB/cm for the optimum parameters (0.34 μJ/pulse and 20 μm/s scanning velocity), with no annealing after irradiation, and the induced refractive index contrast is Δn∼0.006 (at 800 nm). The multi-scan technique is used to gain control of the refractive index profiles thus producing multimodal structures. The active behavior of the waveguides is induced under ∼800 nm seeding and the co-propagating guidance of the erbium emission is demonstrated. The integration of photonic elements such as Y-splitters, both in 2D and 3D, as well as Mach-Zehnder interferometers, is also shown. Results demonstrate the optimum behavior of Er3+/Yb3+ oxyfluoride nano-glass ceramics as a host material for the integration of complex active photonic devices by femtosecond laser irradiation in the low repetition rate regime.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (FIS2017-87970R, MAT2017-87035-C2-1-P/-2-P); Consejería de Educación, Junta de Castilla y León (SA287P18); Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (GIU17/014); Eusko Jaurlaritza (PIBA2018-24)

Continuous fiberizing by laser melting (Cofiblas): production of highly flexible glass nanofibers with effectively unlimited length

The development of nanofibers is expected to foster the creation of outstanding lightweight nanocomposites and flexible and transparent composites for applications such as optoelectronics. However, the reduced length of existing nanofibers and nanotubes limits mechanical strengthening and effective manufacturing. Here, we present an innovative method that produces glass nanofibers with lengths that are, effectively, unlimited by the process. The method uses a combination of a high-power laser with a supersonic gas jet. We describe the experimental setup and the physical processes involved, and, with the aid of a mathematical simulation, identify and discuss the key parameters which determine its distinctive features and feasibility. This method enabled the production of virtually unlimited long, solid, and nonporous glass nanofibers that display outstanding flexibility and could be separately arranged and weaved.Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED431C 2019/23Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED481B 2016/047-0Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED481D 2017/010European Union | Ref. EAPA_151/2016 Interreg Atlantic AreaAgencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. PGC2018-094900-B-I0

Teachers' informal learning and organizational learning in Spain

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to focus on the informal learning (IL) processes of teachers in primary and secondary schools in Spain. Its objective is to study the strategies currently used by teachers to generate IL, identifying the factors that condition such learning and the changes that must be introduced to enhance it. Design/methodology/approach: The methodology is qualitative, with information from interviews with school principals (n = 21) and teachers (n = 60) from 22 primary and secondary schools in Spain and from 3 discussion groups with experts (n = 17). The topics used refer to strategies to generate and promote IL and its conditioning factors. Findings: The findings suggest that, regardless of the stage (primary/secondary) and ownership of the centre (state/private), the teaching staff use IL strategies that, beyond individual actions, involve meeting, sharing and reflecting with other teachers. The challenge is that IL facilitates both professional development and the development and improvement of the organizations. School principals play a central role in achieving this relationship and promoting the institutionalization of changes and educational administration in facilitating the right conditions for their development and recognition. Research limitations/implications: Given that the participation of schools in the research was voluntary, as was that of the teachers who agreed to be interviewed, some bias may exist. To refine the analyses it would also have been interesting to contrast with the people interviewed some of the assessments which appeared in the focus groups. Finally, future work might focus on analysing in greater detail the effect of different management styles on IL. Practical implications: The results presented point to the need for decisive support from school leadership teams for collaborative work processes and joint reflection, which are one of the basic conditions for facilitating IL and, at the same time, for encouraging organizational learning. Furthermore, in the Spanish context, there is the challenge of combining the participation of teachers in formal training actions with the recognition of IL generated in the development of daily professional activity. Originality/value: The data provided complements and reaffirms the findings of research carried out in other types of organizations, at the same time highlighting the importance of horizontal relationships among education professionals and the difficulty of creating a solid foundation for organizational changes. Improvements are, on the other hand, highly conditioned by the role adopted by school principals

La coordinació académica de la Universidad : estrategias para una educación de calidad

El colectivo de profesores implicados en materias de Organización Educativa en la licenciatura de Pedagogía de la Universidad Autónoma Barcelona desarrolla diversas acciones dirigidas a favorecer la calidad de la formación de los estudiantes, a partir de una mayor coordinación en la confección y desarrollo de los programas. Las reuniones de coordinación, el intercambio desarrollado de experiencias, el debate sobre la distribución de contenidos por materias y ciclos, la acotación metodológica mediante fichas o la elaboración de casos para su resolución han sido actuaciones destacadas en los últimos cursos académicos. El presente texto las describe, delimitando también las bases de actuación, el proceso realizado, algunos de los resultados y los productos elaboradosMost lecturers and professors involved in teaching School Management and Education Management courses have been engaged in developing some innovative actions to improve the training quality that we offer to students in the Pedagogy degree at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. These actions are aimed at increasing co-ordination among the teaching staff when designing and implementing the course curricula. Co-ordination meetings, exchanges of teaching experiences, discussions about what, how and when to teach the different contents, in which courses and at what level, methodological issues pointed out through technical description cards or the elaboration of study cases to be solved have become the basis of relevant actions during the last academic years. This paper explains each one of them, and provides useful information about the theoretical background, the process carried out, some of the results obtained, the output and the tools create

Merged phytosociological and geographical approach for multiple scale vegetation mapping as a baseline for public environmental policy in Mexico

Artículo Científico "Merged phytosociological and geographical approach for multiple scale vegetation mapping as a baseline for public environmental policy in Mexico" https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12595Questions: What is the potential use of maps derived from a merged geographical and phytosociological approach to support the design of public environmental policies? Do these approaches and data sources deliver complementary land-cover/vegetation maps? Objective: The present article documents a joint phytosociological and geographical approach to improve vegetation cartography in temperate-tropical transitional ecosystems. Location: The research was conducted at national (Mexico) and state (Michoacán) scales. Mexico and Michoacán have been recognized as regions of high ecogeographical complexity, where temperate-tropical conditions intermingle, creating large eco-socio-cultural mosaics. Conclusions: We discuss the scientific challenge of transitioning from land cover into vegetation maps and (dis)similarities of approaches reviewing concepts and analytical (quanti)qualitative instruments. The paper contrasts the present output with the experiences of other countries such as Canada, the United States, Bolivia, and Colombia. Finally, the results are discussed in light of their relevance for constructing public environmental policies, such as land use planning, establishment of protected areas, allocation of incentives for sustainable environmental services, and long-term conservation practices

Confecció de materials i coordinació en el desenvolupament i l'aplicació dels programes de l'àmbit de l'organització de la titulació de Pedagogia

La construcció de l'espai europeu d'educació superior exigeix planificar els estudis universitaris partint de la base que el protagonista n'és l'estudiant. En aquest procés el col·lectiu de professors de l'Àrea de Didàctica i Organització Educativa que imparteix matèries en la titulació vinculades amb l'àmbit de l'organització ha desenvolupat diverses accions dirigides a afavorir la qualitat de la formació dels estudiants, a partir d'una major coordinació del professorat en la confecció i el desenvolupament dels programes. Això ha significat trencar amb l'aïllament acadèmic entre el professorat implicat i plantejar un treball continuat de col·laboració, donant peu a reflexionar sobre el procés d'ensenyament i aprenentatge dels estudiants, assumint per endavant la necessitat d'enriquir l'activitat a partir de les aportacions personals, plantejant inquietuds, aportant documents i ajudant a la recopilació sistemàtica de les bones pràctiques, amb la intenció de compartir-les i analitzar-ne les claus de l'èxit.La construcción del espacio europeo de educación superior exige planificar los estudios universitarios partiendo de la base de que su protagonista es el estudiante. En este proceso el colectivo de profesores del Área de Didáctica y Organización Educativa que imparte materias en la titulación vinculadas al ámbito de organización ha desarrollado diversas accionas dirigidas a favorecer la calidad de la formación de los estudiantes, a partir de una mayor coordinación del profesorado en la confección y el desarrollo de los programas. Ello ha significado romper con el aislamiento académico entre el profesorado implicado y plantear un trabajo continuado de colaboración, dando pie a reflexionar sobre el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje de los estudiantes, asumiendo de antemano la necesidad de enriquecer la actividad a partir de las aportaciones personales, planteando inquietudes, aportando documentos y ayudando en la recopilación sistemática de las buenas prácticas, con la intención de compartirlas y analizar las claves de su éxito.The consolidation of the European Higher Education Area requires us to plan university degrees starting from the premise that students take centre stage. In this process, the group of professors in the Area of Didactics and Educational Organisation who teach courses in the degree programme linked to the field of educational organisation have developed a variety of actions aimed at fostering the quality of students' education based on better coordination among all the faculty in drawing up and developing the curricula. This has entailed breaking with the academic isolation among the faculty involved and developing constant cooperative work, leading us to reflect on the process of teaching learnt by students, assuming beforehand the need to enrich the activity through personal contributions, expressing concerns, providing documents and helping to systematically compile good practices, all with the intention of sharing them and analysing the keys to their success

Obsea: a decadal balance for a cabled observatory deployment

The study of the effects of climate change on the marine environment requires the existence of sufficiently long time series of key parameters. The study of these series allows both to characterize the range of variability in each particular region and to detect trends or changes that could be attributed to anthropogenic causes. For this reason, networks of permanent cabled observation systems are being deployed in the ocean. This paper presents a balance of a decade of activity at the OBSEA cabled observatory, as an example of ocean monitoring success and drawbacks. It is not the objective of this article to analyze the scientific and technical aspects already presented by the authors in different publications (Table 4). We will evaluate the overall experience by retracing the different steps of infrastructure deployment and maintenance, focusing on routines for in situ control, damages experienced, breakdowns and administrative constraints by local administrations. We will conclude by providing a set of guidelines to improve cabled observatories scientific outreach, societal projection, and economic efficiency. As a result of this work, a 10-years dataset has been published in Pangaea that is available for the community.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version