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This paper shows the results of a survey performed in Spain on the different functionalities of e-learning platforms. This survey was filled in by a group of teachers, experts in engineering education from across Spain, within the scope of the Spanish Chapter of the IEEE Education Society. This paper presents their opinions on several aspects of e-learning functionalities, such as knowledge levels, levels of use, and usefulness, as well as describing the most commonly used platforms. One of the objectives of this work is to create a debate in the international community about the use of e-learning platforms and their main functionalities, the most frequently used standards, the implications for and the levels of support by institutions in their use of e-learning platforms, and in general, their advantages and disadvantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fact of placing competences and outcomes learning at the heart of the academic activity means overhauling the curricular architecture of higher education in Europe. Some universities have undergone important transformations moving toward a competence-based learning environment, while others maintain traditional curriculum packaged formats. In the realm of the European Higher Education Area, this paper examines the use of competence-based initiatives in curricular development for engineering degrees with special focus to the Spanish case. Although the concept of competence and competence-based learning has a long history in education and training research, these terms are still very diffuse and demand a clear conceptualization. In the first part of this paper, we provide a conceptual overview and a critical reflection of competences as implemented in a wide range of settings, including its origins, key concepts, and definitions. Next, we discuss the purposes, principles, pitfalls, and processes that enable defining a map of competences within engineering education. Lastly, we present a pilot project involving curriculum development and faculty enhancement within a competence-based learning initiative in Electronic Engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem-based learning (PBL) has proved to be a highly successful pedagogical model in many fields, although it is not that common in computer engineering. PBL goes beyond the typical teaching methodology by promoting student interaction. This paper presents a PBL trial applied to a course in a computer engineering degree at the University of Seville, Spain. To promote the reusability and interoperability of the PBL trial, a design-driven approach was used, based on the Internet protocol Multimedia Subsystems (IMS) Learning Design (LD) standard. This paper presents the outcomes of using this method to innovate teaching practices in a blended learning environment. Design and implementation results, as well as users' opinions, are presented and analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers an introduction to the paper "Achieving Competence-Based Curricula for Engineering Education in Spain," by Mónica Edwards et al. which appeared within the issue. The paper focuses on the development of a program that is based on a competence-based engineering education curriculum in Spain. A list of core competencies is proposed by the authors in their paper. The authors expect competence to become the defining measure for redesigning future curricula in Spain.

During the last few years, the number of university students choosing to follow engineering degrees has decreased dramatically in Spain. For that reason, several university departments, in collaboration with some high schools, have developed a range of activities in order to promote a higher enrollment rate, to improve the level of mathematics and physics that students have when entering university, to explode the myth of engineering degrees being difficult studies not within everyone's reach, and to rationalize the curricula of engineering degrees, coordinating all their courses and directing them toward the global objectives of the degree. In this paper, the results of an Outreach Project for Engineering Education (OPEE) comprising four successful activities developed over the last decade at the Higher Technical School of the University of Cordoba, Spain, are reported. Most important is that in the face of the significant decrease of the amount of engineering first-year students observed in Spain in general, and Cordoba in particular, enrollment in the Higher Technical School of the University of Cordoba has remained constant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores both how male and female high school pupils (15-16 years old) perceive the engineering profession and their willingness to pursue a career in this area. A study was performed around a one-day outreach activity, Girls' Day, organized for the first time in Spain. During Girls' Day, students were exposed to specific activities developed for them in engineering research labs and companies, carried out by young female researchers and professionals. The study, based on two questionnaires answered before and after the activity, focuses on the differences between groups of female and male students having differing degrees of interest in studying engineering. The educational level of mothers, the presence of engineers in families, and perceived family support emerged as important factors influencing the probability of a young person's considering pursuing engineering studies. Nevertheless, the need to expose children to outreach activities at a younger age and to involve the students' families and teachers has become clear. If planned properly and thoughtfully, even a single day's experience can contribute to changing the perception of what an engineer is. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]