The design of solar power plants and the operating principles are learned by engineering students during the last academic year. Typically, this subject is taught using the traditional methodology based on lectures where students are not considered as an active player of the class. The aim of this experience was to implement innovative…

The current industrial revolution demands a revolution on teaching methodologies at all levels, particularly for higher education. Here, we present an efficient model to teach technologies associated with Industry 4.0 (I4.0) in undergraduate engineering courses. The first step was identifying the main skills required for an I4.0 practitioner and…

The development of employees' skills and competences has become a key driver of economic growth in the developed world. It is widely recognised that enhancing people's skills and competences will be a major cause of future competitive advantage. Consequently, companies need to be able to identify precise areas where they have, or can build,…

We present a teaching methodology to answer the question 'How can we link teaching with research in our engineering courses?' Due to the combination of hybrid Problem Based Learning with Research Tutored/Oriented Teaching, the methodology enables the students to acquire the skills of 'problem solving', 'working in teams', 'analytic', 'written…

Engineering design is known as an answer to an ill-defined problem. As any answer to an ill-defined problem, it can never be completely right or absolutely wrong. The methods that universities use to teach engineering design, as a consequence of this, suffer from the same fate. However, the accumulated experience with the "chalk and…

This paper presents a theoretical basis for cultivating engineering education as a complex system that will prepare students to think critically and make decisions with regard to poorly understood, ill-structured issues. Integral to this theoretical basis is a solution space construct developed and presented as a benchmark for evaluating…

This paper reports on a project in which students designed, constructed and tested a model of an existing early warning system with simulation of debris flow in a context of a landslide. Students also assessed rural community members' knowledge of this system and subsequently taught them to estimate the time needed for evacuation of the community…

European cooperation is a relevant subject that contributes to building a competitive network of high education institutions. A case of teacher mobility on behalf of the Erasmus programme is presented: it considers some Operations Research topics and the development of the Lego on My Decision module. The module considers eight lecture hours in…

As teachers and researchers belonging to two sister French engineering schools, we are convinced that the processes of value creation and management are essential in today's teaching of industrial engineering and project managers. We believe that such processes may be embedded in a three-part curriculum composed of value management and innovation…

Launching new or improved products to the market typically involves extensive collaboration within and beyond the enterprise. Succeeding in a customer-driven market economy demands the practice of simultaneous engineering. The standard engineering or engineering technology curricula continue to make efforts in providing students with opportunities…

The Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) is immersed in an educational system mainly based on master classes, and although graduates benefit from a good preparation, there is an appreciable rate of failure among the students. The UPV is aware of the restructuring requirements of the current system and consequently, and in accordance with the…