Alicia Perdigones

Assessing heterogeneous student bodies using a methodology that encourages the acquisition of skills valued by employers

This work compares the results of three assessment systems used in two Spanish universities (the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and the Universidad Católica de Ávila): the traditional system based on final examinations, continuous assessment with periodic tests and a proposed system (specially designed for heterogeneous student bodies) orientated towards motivating students. This third system involved dividing the syllabus into two different parts: a common core assessed by multiple choice tests, and a specialisation assessed by a literature review, the writing of an article and an oral presentation. The latter skills are highly valued by employers. The proposed system led to a greater pass rate than that achieved by students taking similar courses assessed by the more conventional systems. In addition, the results show that involving students in the assessment process increases their participation in their studies and generates a feeling of satisfaction and justice.

Analyzing worldwide research in hardware architecture, 1997--2011

Results showed more published papers, collaboration with U.S. colleagues, preference for English, and uneven research impact.

EFFECT OF HEATING CONTROL STRATEGIES ON GREENHOUSE ENERGY EFFICIENCY: EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS AND MODELING

This study evaluated the energy efficiency of greenhouse heating systems in a Mediterranean climate by comparing the overall heat transfer coefficients obtained with heating strategies involving either heated floors or air heaters. The overall heat transfer coefficient is composed of the various heat transfers through the greenhouse, including losses by conduction, convection, infiltration, and radiation; it was calculated per unit of floor area. Four factors were found to influence this coefficient: wind speed, heat input, outside temperature, and heat capacity of the greenhouse. Greater heat input resulted in an increase in the heat transfer coefficient: 1 W m-2 °C-1 for every 50 W m-2 of heat input. This was explained by the heat released by the greenhouse structures and soil, which reinforced the effect of heating with low values of heat input. The thermal behavior of the greenhouse was studied by modeling. Dynamic models decreased the absolute error in the calculation of inside temperatures by more than 1°C with respect to a static model. The best dynamic model was used in simulations of control strategies. Step control of two or three groups of air heaters improved the thermal efficiency of the greenhouse (4% to 10% energy saving), and led to fewer temperature variations, compared to the use of all the heating power as one only group. With heated floor systems, a recommended strategy in mild climates is to turn off the heating at dawn.

Analysis of worldwide research in the field of cybernetics during 1997---2011

The study provides an overview of the research activity carried out in the field of cybernetics. To do so, all research papers from 1997 to 2011 (16,445 research papers) under the category of “Computer Science, Cybernetics” of Web of Science have been processed using our in-house software which is developed specifically for this purpose. Among its multiple capabilities, this software analyses individual and compound keywords, quantifies productivity taking into account the work distribution, estimates the impact of each article and determines the collaborations established at different scales. Keywords analysis identifies the evolution of the most important research topics in the field of cybernetics and their specificity in biological aspects, as well as the research topics with lesser interest. The analysis of productivity, impact and collaborations provides a framework to assess research activity in a specific and realistic context. The geographical and institutional distribution of publications reveals the leading countries and research centres, analysing their relation to main research journals. Moreover, collaborations analysis reveals great differences in terms of internationalization and complexity of research networks. The results of this study may be very useful for the characterization and the decisions made by research in the field of cybernetics.

How many hours of instruction are needed for students to become competent in engineering subjects

The aim of this work was to compare the curricula of three different agricultural engineering courses and to determine the competence of graduating students in three subject areas in order to identify possible shortfalls in the number of hours of instruction (HI) required for full competence to be attained. A total of 132 students sat a voluntary examination in the final year of their studies to determine their competence in three subject areas: electrical facilities, machinery and construction. The degree courses completed by these students are meant to provide them with the legal standing required to undertake infrastructure projects in agricultural installations. This work detected significant differences in the competence of graduates in the mentioned subjects, depending on the number of HI they had received. Students who had received under 120 HI in these subjects were found to be significantly less competent than those who had received more.

Competences in demand within the Spanish agricultural engineering sector

The Rural Engineering Department (Technical University of Madrid) ran three competence surveys during the 2006–2007 and 2007–2008 academic years and evaluated: (1) the competences gained by agricultural engineers degree and agricultural technical engineers degree students (360 respondents); (2) the competences demanded by agricultural employers (50 farming sector employers); (3) competences required by farming sector professionals and former students (70 professionals). The surveys show significant differences between what competences agricultural employers require of graduates and the competences they acquire during their agricultural engineering degree courses. Recruiters are looking for generic competences such as the ability to coordinate groups and place less importance on knowledge of engineering, biology, applied economics and legislation. Of the computer-related competences, those most in demand by sector professionals were related to the use of Microsoft Office/Excel (used by 79% of professionals). Surveys were used to redesign some subjects of the degrees.

Effect of increasing temperatures on cooling systems. A case of study: European greenhouse sector

The work attempts to assess the effects of global warming on the efficacy of current greenhouse cooling methods following a methodology previously proved for other agricultural buildings. The cooling potential of four greenhouse cooling techniques (natural ventilation, forced ventilation, fogging and shading) were simulated by computer modelling for five European locations, calculating the greenhouse internal air temperature from measured external climate data. Four 2080s scenarios were analysed in these five locations. They were constructed as a combination of General Circulation Models (Had CM3 and ECHAM4) downscaled for Europe with the HIRHAM and RCA3 regional models and driven by the A2 and B2 socio-economic scenarios. The crop considered as reference was tomato. The results showed that, in locations in southern Europe, adding evaporative cooling methods to ventilation and/or shading will be indispensable. In some areas of northern Europe, natural ventilation will no longer be sufficient, and shading or fogging will also be necessary. The economic consequences will be important, over all in the southern locations where water consumption, investment and working costs will be higher and necessary to ensure the crop production.