Improving the Power Electronics Laboratory teaching/learning process: an interactive web tool

European Higher Education Area; Power Electronics Laboratory; educational methods Resumen: The forthcoming European Higher Education Area implies an important change in the teaching/learning process: it is necessary to get students more involved as well as to promote their independence and active participation. To achieve this objective, the new teaching methodologies aimed at more effective and appropriate learning for professional practice involve the use of audiovisual, computer and multimedia tools on the part of lecturers. Therefore, a web tool, based on a content management system, has been developed for the teaching in Power Electronics Laboratory. Moreover, the use of these multimedia tools makes possible to promote the students independence. Finally, the use of this web tool results in a very significant increase in the motivation students.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

On the effect of assessed returnable documents as active methodology in Power Electronics

The methodological change caused by the implementation of the new degrees provides a clear opportunity to improve educational practices. This paper describes a teaching tool, named returnable document, to increase student work outside the classroom, motivate the students while raising their awareness about the importance and impact of their work. By using returnable documents teachers manage to strengthen the results of homework and the learning process in a flexible, motivating and entertaining way. In addition, compared to more traditional learning models, student participation is encouraged.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

El modelo de Clase invertida en ingeniería: opiniones de los agentes implicados

En conjunción con diferentes metodologías activas, el modelo pedagógico de clase invertida proporciona un sustancial cambio en el paradigma de la docencia, gracias al uso de herramientas y plataformas basadas en las TIC. Esta metodología se centra en la adquisición de conocimientos teóricos previos a la clase, reservando la misma a reforzar los conocimientos adquiridos, con un enfoque más práctico. Este capítulo recoge los resultados de un estudio realizado en la Escuela de Ingenierías Industriales de la Universidad de Málaga. El objetivo es obtener las opiniones de la aplicación del modelo de clase invertida por parte de los estudiantes y los docentes, que son los protagonistas esenciales en el método de enseñanza-aprendizaje. Para la realización de la medición del grado de satisfacción y efectividad, se han implementado una serie de encuestas destinadas a los agentes implicados cuyos resultados avalan el empleo de este modelo para conseguir un aprendizaje más personalizado en los estudiantes.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

3D Digital techniques applied to new design products based on cultural heritage elements

The aim of this paper is to present the 3D digitalization and posterior treatment of complex heritage elements existing in the Alhambra Palace, so that they can be used as the starting point for the development of new products. Not only are the direct results of 3D digitalization exploitable and essential for the documentation, recording and research of heritage elements, but also these 3D files compiling the original elements are to be used as the blueprints for the future development of new products and designs, such as constructive elements regarding their application at interior design and architecture projects. The enrichment provided in new products is undeniable as they will depart from the same provenance as the heritage element, which allows the product to increase its market value, and the opening of new Market niches. It is very important to highlight that any new product creation process will be grounded in full respect and protection of cultural heritage. For this reason, under no circumstances will the original elements be completely reproduced, not even partial developments of them since this action could undergo the risk of a non-responsible reproduction of the heritage elements.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

An analysis of taxi ratio in urban area using GIS

Urban development has started a change led by various factors: human impact on climate change, ageing population that is nowadays significant, increase of its density in urban environments, and processes of globalization that are promoted by incessant incorporation of new technologies. The Smarts cities have become a guinea pig for experimentation with new technologies, applying them to the mobility, infrastructures, energy or information. A focus of the new urban development model revolves around technology, and service needs depend more on the fact of having or being able to access to the specific data than the own available technology itself. Innovations in big data, free access to open data and cloud computing will affect urban development patterns. It is necessary to give substance to all that production, storage, processing and management of the data sources available: sensors, location and positioning systems, cloud computing, open data and communication networks. We proposes to add value to the data of the sources mentioned above, applied to public transport custom, in a city around 600.000 residents, through the GIS analysis of mobility patterns. Location and real time tracking of vehicles provide information on their status. It allows for taking decisions quickly and efficiently, and so on, establishing for example, mobility patterns. True challenge is to detect and transmit key information extracted from a huge volume of data, in which the public, private and business data must be combined effectively to achieve a more integrated knowledge of citizen habits in urban environment.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

Measurement device design: Rain gauge

The need to size large hydraulic infrastructures, exploit extensive agricultural areas or simply arrange water assets for human consumption makes the evaluation of the available water resources essential. Water is a scarce resource that is poorly distributed both, spatially and temporally. Therefore, a set of hydrological networks that allow the evaluation of water quantity and quality is required. In order to achieve this, the first step is to retrieve reliable data on rainfall. To carry out a correct evaluation of water resources, both in the small and large scale, disposing hydrological networks that involve a certain number of measuring devices becomes critical. Despite the great amount of studies that have been developed on measuring devices such as rain gauges, there are still many errors that remain in the measurements and that have not been ruled out yet, thus affecting the accuracy of the measurements. In this sense, the design of a device that provides an accurate measurement of rainfall and also results affordable, could be the key to a product with great acceptance in the market. The aim of this work is to present the design of a measurement device that provides accurate data and can be used in multiple ways: as an ordinary rain gauge, as a rain gauge recorder, or even allowing to carry on both functions simultaneously. The methodology followed for its implementation has consisted in analyzing the techniques and procedures to be trailed at quantifying rainfall, conducting a market study and analyzing specifications to be in accordance to WMO (World Meteorological Organization) [2] [3] to then go through a conceptual design and finally complete the detailed design where materials are valued and simulation tests are performed in order to meet certain accuracy and economical requirements.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Comparativa y análisis de la Ingeniería Gráfica en el Grado en Ingeniería en Tecnologías Industriales

El grado constituye el primer nivel de los estudios universitarios. En él se incluyen las enseñanzas básicas junto con otras materias orientadas a la formación del futuro ingeniero. En este artículo se realiza un estudio de la participación académica del área de Expresión Gráfica en la Ingeniería en el Grado en Ingeniería en Tecnologías Indusriales a nivel nacional en universidades públicas y privadas. Como resultado se puede observar una diferencia en la participación de esta área en las universidades públicas con respecto a las privadas; así la Universidad Politécnica de Valencia realiza una mayor oferta mientras que alguna privada, como la Universidad de Navarra y Deusto, solo oferta 6 créditos. Finalmente, se muestra una comparativa mediante gráficos de la participación y situación en las distintas universidades. Por otra parte, a nivel local también se analiza la relación con diferentes materias del plan de estudios de la Universidad de Málaga, a través de su plan docente, teniendo en cuenta los itinerarios y temporización. Los resultados muestran como la mayor relación de las asignaturas del área de Expresión Gráfica en la Ingeniería están más vinculadas a itinerarios de Electricidad, Estructuras y Materiales y, por último, Mecánica y Máquinas.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

El juego de rol como elemento dinamizador de la praxis universitaria

El advenimiento y la consolidación del Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior invita a docentes y estudiantes a aplicar nuevas metodologías que desplacen el foco de atención desde la enseñanza (docentes) hacia el aprendizaje (estudiantes), promoviendo nuevas interacciones y nuevos roles en el binomio enseñanza/aprendizaje. Según esto, se describe, en este artículo, una experiencia docente en la que el rol principal recae en los estudiantes, como protagonistas de su propio proceso de aprendizaje; mientras que el docente adopta un rol secundario desde una posición de guía o asesor. Los estudiantes se agrupan en torno a empresas ficticias y el docente juega el papel de cliente, con el que deben establecer una relación comercial y formal durante la impartición de la asignatura. Es en este nuevo escenario en el que se impulsan el desarrollo de una serie de competencias como son el liderazgo, el trabajo en equipo, el autoaprendizaje, o el establecimiento de un lenguaje formal entre empresas y cliente. Los resultados obtenidos son totalmente satisfactorios, demostrando los beneficios de trabajo en este nuevo escenario, simulado y con un ingente aumento en la motivación de los alumnos.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Hacia un nuevo entorno de aprendizaje en la Electrónica de Potencia: de lo virtual a lo personal

La llegada del Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior conlleva importantes cambios en el proceso de enseñanza/aprendizaje: es conveniente involucrar de forma más efectiva a los alumnos así como promover su independencia y participación activa en este proceso. Este nuevo marco engloba el aumento en el desarrollo y utilización de las Nuevas Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación en el campo de la educación y el análisis del resultado académico de los estudiantes. Se describe, a continuación, la implementación de un nuevo entorno de aprendizaje para Electrónica de Potencia. Para evaluar las ventajas e inconvenientes de este nuevo entorno y el cumplimiento de los objetivos, se han diseñado diversos cuestionarios para los estudiantes. Los resultados obtenidos demuestran los beneficios en el uso del nuevo entorno de aprendizaje y un importante aumento en la motivación de los alumnos.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Implementation of learning by doing methods in the graphical engineering field

Regarding the different options to approaches with excessively theoretical contents that are applied in teaching, there are several innovative learning strategies for active students’ involvement. According to (1) most of the business look for professional profiles in which applicants not only have an academic background but also good personal skills, such as initiative, undertaking, communication skills, commercial vision, and so on. This paper presents the experiments that aim to achieve the objectives and catching skills by the Learning by doing technique (2), through a contextualization of the subject “Container and Packaging” in the Industrial Design Degree. Moreover, a close relation between university and business is achieved. In this way students acquire the requirements demanded by the company. A particularization of an industrial design methodology proposed by the Technological Institute of Packaging, Transport and Logistics (ITENE, Valencia) has been implemented for the design of packaging and packaging (4). Besides using this method, students take on a project-based learning (PBL) work under the role of company. Then, they realize the redesign of the container of a manufactured product close to his residence province, i.e. Ron Montero Winery, Granada. This practice will not only look for improving the student's ability to research and solve problems, but also to manage the professional and personal relationships that occur within each work group. These situations are necessary in the training process since they will be to be fought daily in their future professional life.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec