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In the lust few years a computing engineering course has been taking form at the Universidad de los Andes (Bogotá, Colombia). The course brings students and entrepreneurs together with innovation projects centered around the productive sector. This paper presents the experience of the course "Innovation with Communication and Information Technologies" in which, within the CDIO (Conceive--Design--Implement--Operate) framework (with an initial observation stage), a group of entrepreneurs from the ICT sector act as coaches for teams of students who, in an autonomous way, propose innovative and sustainable projects. Based on an evaluation process based on the Cybersyn methodology of indicators and indexes, evidence is generated of a growth in innovation and teamwork abilities as well as student development during the last year of under-graduate studies. This paper is structured in three parts: (1) a review of the literature associated with the development of abilities and innovation and teamwork in engineering schools with an emphasis on the phases of CDIO; (2) a detailed description of the process and evaluation of the proposed course in computer engineering: and (3) the main results obtained during the last year that will enable the proposal to be replicable in other engineering courses. A conclusion is presented with recommendations and a view of future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article shows the potential of collaborative applications over the RENATA network, the academic, high-bandwidth, Colombian communication infrastructure with access to other high-bandwidth initiatives in Latin America (CLARA network), Europe (GEANT), and USA (Internet2). Several prototypes on top of Access Grid show the added value for telecollaboration and teleoperation applications in the academic sector, and in the future for business. We show prototypes that enhance a teleconference with interaction with virtual 3D objects and the use of grid resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article consists of describing the Pequeños Cientificos program (literally translated as 'little scientists' program) led by an initiative at the School of Engineering at Universidad de los Andes and defines the program's goals to promote scientific and technological literacy. This article stresses the role that Science and Engineering Schools can play in the development of scientific literacy in K-12 education, and makes a stand for the importance of the ability to inquire, when learned from an early age, in the development of critical thinking and civic participation. In the Colombian context, the Pequeños Cientificos program emerges as a partnership between Science and Engineering schools (at both college and graduate level), K-6 science teachers, institutions, science academies and museums that are devoted to children's education. Strategies of teacher training, evaluation, community relationships and the development of materials are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shortly describes the main characteristics of the Pequeños Científicos program in its different action dimensions. It describes the program objectives, the strategies used in it and the preliminary results that have been obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]