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This paper describes a study related to the learning of decision-making heuristics such as preference matrix, break-even point and decision tree from the perspective of using a computational tool. With their respective algorithms, a virtual learning environment through a mobile application (app) aimed at Engineering students was developed. To answer the research questions posed in this report, an empirical study was conducted to assess the effectiveness, efficiency and cost in solving decision-making problems with and without the use of the app. The results in this study suggest that the use of the app in learning decision-making skills facilitates the mathematical process for students, and that by using critical thinking competence, they can make assertive and accurate decisions considering different alternatives.

In the nineteenth century, Portugal undertook a public works programme, spearheaded by railways, seeking the modernisation of the country. In this paper, I use the approach of technopolitics to study how the implementation of railways in Portugal influenced Portuguese politics and vice-versa. I analyse the interactions between engineers, policymakers, and local caciques, their associations in technopolitical regimes, in different arenas: the parliament, assemblies of experts, inauguration ceremonies, and the media (illustrated press that republished photographs). I show that railways became a powerful tool to pursue other objectives than those originally envisaged by its promoters, namely political goals related with governance, extension of the influence of central government to the periphery, and socio-political affirmation of the engineers. Sources include parliamentary debates, engineering journals, illustrated newspapers, and photography. I aim to contribute to the debate about the relationship between the technological implementation and politics, including rhetoric, material, and iconographic practices.

In this paper there are described some educational strategies based on virtual learning environments, which were implemented in engineering programs with the purpose of mitigating failure rates in basic stage subjects. Based on a case study at the University of Baja California, the causes of failure for the period 2013 to 2016 were diagnosed, and subsequently, from 2017 to 2019, the implementation of four support strategies began. An analysis of the behavior of the failure rates before and after the implementation of the strategies was made, and the results show up that both the failure levels in five subjects as well as the student lag decreased. Even though the strategies applied in this study are replicable, and the use of virtual learning environments supports students’ academic performance, it is still necessary to expand the research to measure the impact of additional strategies that were implemented simultaneously.

This article describes a configurable and computable instructional model based on gamification elements. The empirical evaluation of the model is also reported using the software engineering area as the scope of application; in the experimental study two treatments were compared: the traditional dynamics of using a paper document for the Performance Test, and the use of a Virtual Learning Environment configured based on in the model; the dependent variables considered were time and score. From the statistical analysis it was possible to conclude that the students did not present significant differences in the scores obtained in both treatments; however, the time turned out to be a variable with significant differences.

In the second half of the nineteenth century, Portugal undertook in its mainland and colonial territories an ambitious modernising programme based on technoscientific grounds. From the late 1870s onwards, such programme was widely advertised in Occidente, the most important illustrated journal of the time that published several drawings of original photographs. In this paper, I will analyse the imagery based on authentic photography related to technoscientific activities in Portugal and its colonies, using a methodology that combines semiotics with photojournalistic analysis. I claim that Occidente, by publishing drawings of photos, was crucial to create an image of Portugal as a modern, technoscientific, and imperial nation, before the development of halftone printing and photojournalism.

This paper presents the results of the design and implementation of a system for capturing and processing images of agricultural crops. The design includes the development of software and hardware for image acquisition using a model helicopter equipped with video cameras with a resolution of 640x480 pixels. A software application was developed for performing differential correction of errors generated by the Global Positioning System (GPS) and for allowing the monitoring of the position of the helicopter in real time. A telemetry system consisting of an inertial measurement unit, a magnetometer, a pressure and altitude sensor, one GPS and two photo cameras were developed. Finally, image processing software was developed to determine some vegetation indexes and generation of three-dimensional maps of crops.

Qual é o lugar das mulheres nas atividades de pesquisa científica, tecnológica e industrial no campo da engenharia? Quais suas possibilidades de ingresso e progressão nessa carreira? Como as concepções sociais de gênero influenciam suas carreiras? O objetivo do artigo é discutir essas questões, recorrendo, de um lado, à análise de estatísticas sobre a participação feminina no conjunto dos pesquisadores brasileiros e entre os pesquisadores nas Engenharias e, de outro, a depoimentos de engenheiros e engenheiras que trabalham em atividades de pesquisas tecnológicas, científicas e industriais no Estado de São Paulo.This paper aims to discuss the place of women in scientific and technological research in engineering, considering their insertion and the possibilities of progression, as well as the influence of gender social conceptions, in their careers. To attend this purpose, first, we analyzed gendered statistics about the career of scientific research in general, looking specially the engineering area. In order to enlight this quantitative portrait, we add an analysis of the related experiences from engineers - male and female -, that worked in technological and industrial research activities, in São Paulo State.

This paper analyzes those communication skills expected of engineers, as well as their current deficiencies. Subsequently, resources required to develop technical and professional communication maturity used in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses are specified. In particular, oral presentations and report writing, by means of role-play and simulations, are analyzed. Also considered are other aspects directly related to the improvement of communication skills, such as metacognition and interdisciplinary collaboration (communication). Finally, a practical case is presented: an ESP course for engineers at the Industrial Technical Engineering College from Bilbao (Spain). Several examples of tasks and activities to develop such skills are presented. Moreover, studies and data regarding their opinions about the importance of all these topics in their current learning process and in the long term are presented and analyzed. The main conclusions of the study could be summarized as follows: 1. Oral presentations and report writing are highly useful to improve engineering students’ communication skills; 2. The information provided to them can be successfully applied outside academia.

Este artigo apresenta um relato da pós-graduação em engenharia no Brasil a partir de marcos importantes na história do ensino superior brasileiro. O trabalho considera a legislação estabelecida em diferentes momentos analisados e o contexto de instituições acadêmicas e científicas na construção da pós-graduação brasileira. São apresentadas, ainda, as principais agências nacionais de fomento para o desenvolvimento da Ciência e Tecnologia, os primeiros anos de pós-graduação em engenharia e o sistema de avaliação.Este trabajo presenta un relatório de la pos-graduación en ingeniería en Brasil desde marcos importantes de la história de la enseñanza superior brasilera. Se considera aquí, la legislación establecida em diferentes momentos analizados y el contexto de las instituciones academicas y científicas que construyeron la pos-graduación. También son presentados la participación de las agencias de fomento en el desenvolvimiento de la ciencia y tecnologia, el início de la pos-graduación en ingeniería y el sistema de evaluación.This paper presents a report on the engineering post-graduation in Brazil based on some important landmarks in the history of the Brazilian higher education. The work takes into account the legislation established in different studied periods of time and the context of the academic and scientific institutions during the development of the Brazilian post-graduate courses. Furthermore, the main national sponsoring agencies for the development of science and technology, as well as the first years of the engineering post-graduation and the associated evaluation system are introduced and analyzed.

El artículo presenta el desarrollo de la Física en Chile desde los comienzos de la República hasta 1960, poniendo énfasis en el desarrollo interno de la disciplina, la evolución de su concepción y la transmisión de su saber. El trabajo enfrenta el mito de la inexistente tradición científica en Chile, mostrando que en el caso de la Física ha habido un largo y sostenido desarrollo. En este desarrollo de la Física se distinguen cuatro etapas: (1) como capítulo de la Filosofía Escolástica; (2) como ciencia útil o indistinguible de la ingeniería; (3) como ciencia cultural y centro de una concepción científica del mundo; y (4) como disciplina con problemas propios, donde la investigación deviene parte central de su desarrollo. Para el historiador de la ciencia la novedad es que su desarrollo sigue una lógica donde los parámetros locales tienen una influencia muy significativa en comparación con aquellos determinados por el desarrollo mundial de la disciplinaThis paper presents the development of Physics in Chile from the beginnings of the Republic until the year 1960, emphasizing the internal development of the discipline, the evolution of its conception and the transmission of its body of knowledge. This work faces the myth of the non-existent scientific tradition in Chile by showing in the case of Physics a long and sustained development. In this development we distinguish four stages of Physics: (1) As a chapter of Scholastic Philosophy; (2) As a discipline closely related to engineering and real-life problems; (3) As cultural science and base of a scientific view of the world; (4) As a discipline with its own problems, where research becomes a central part of its development. For the science historian the novelty is that this development follows a logic where the local parameters have strong influence as compared to those determined by the universal development of the discipline

This paper describes how a team of university professors and graduate students created a technology-based company (spin-off) to as a means to deliver their research findings to the agricultural sector. The spin-off company was based on the use of new methodologies, equipment, instrumentation and sensors initially developed for various research projects. Successful field tests and positive feedback from farmers initially prompted the development of the spin-off. The spin-off progress has been observed and recorded from the idea phase through the company start-up until the second round of financing (October 2007 to January 2010). Since limited time scales are commonly found in agriculture, the spin-off company provided a way to deliver timely research results to the agricultural community. Although university research results may eventually end up in the agricultural sector, in many cases this process requires a lot of bureaucracy and time. Spin-off companies can be flexible tools to transfer this knowledge and technology to the agricultural sector, as well as providing direct career opportunities for graduate students and PhD students.

This paper reports the results of two empirical studies which explored the information seeking behaviour of engineering and law students in Ireland. Findings reveal similar patterns in the information seeking behaviour between students studying to become professionals and information seeking patterns of these groups identified in Leckie et al.'s model. Students learned their information seeking strategies, including effective and less effective approaches, from educators and continuing mis-perceptions of libraries and information professionals. The studies suggest that engineering and law students in Ireland could benefit from greater information literacy training and awareness, enabling them to acquire the information skills they need to function effectively and efficiently in their future professional work lives.