Abstract:

Currently, the incorporation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in society has radically changed the perception of learning and education. The rapid growth of markets, international economic development, and the forced digital transformation that civilization has undergone as a result of COVID-19 have forced educational institutions to incorporate new computer tools into their curricula. This fact has resulted in a strong development of digital skills in education and has forced teachers to make a digital migration towards the integration of new technologies in their subjects, regardless of their academic level.

As a consequence, the adaptation of Vocational Training towards the integration of new technologies in its classrooms has become a challenge for the current educational system. However, the imminently practical nature that accompanies the Higher Level Training Cycles allows the classes to be adapted to the requirements of the labor market. In this sense, the development of digital skills and the acquisition of new computer skills have become a differentiating element among Vocational Training students. For this reason, more and more training centers are trying to integrate simulation tools and computer-aided design programs into their academic Curricula, adapting to the new profile of the student body and the requirements demanded by society.

This work presents an example of the integration of free software in the Higher Education Training Cycle of Energy Efficiency and Solar Thermal Energy of a center in the Community of Madrid. For this, the experience carried out by incorporating the Sunpath3D computer tool in the curriculum of the subjects of the 2nd year of the higher degree cycle is collected to help students in the calculation of shadows and solar paths. The use of this type of computer resource not only favors the development of digital skills by students but also improves their understanding of complex calculations that they will have to apply later in their professional careers. Thus, a symbiosis is generated between the teacher's interest in teaching the contents of the subject, and the students' interests in developing capacities and abilities that allow them to integrate in a differentiated way in the labor market. In such a way that this research shows the possibilities offered by professional training for the development of digital skills and adaptation to new technologies, in addition to summarizing the planning carried out for the development of the subjects and the evaluation methods used, so that this experience can serve as a starting point for potential teachers interested in the implementation of new computer software in their professional training classes.

Keywords:

Innovation, digital skills, Sunpath3D, professional training.