Abstract:

Environmental Technology is a compulsory subject with 6 ECTS credits and is taught throughout the second four-month period of the first year in three degrees (Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Degree in Electrical Engineering, Degree in Industrial Electronics and Automation Engineering) at the Higher Technical School of Industrial Engineers of Albacete in the University of Castilla-La Mancha. In this subject, students learn about the environmental impact inherent in both projects and industrial activities related to the profession of Industrial Engineering (Order CIN/351/2009) [1, 2]. In addition, this subject allows students to provide solutions for problems related to pollution of water, atmosphere and solid waste in order to achieve a greater awareness about current environmental problems and their consequences.

Student teams of 2-3 people develop bibliographic works focused on the management of solid wastes for raw material and/or energy recover and even propose novel alternative strategies. Firstly, students select a solid waste: paper, plastics, glass, mobile phones, fluorescent bulbs, used tyres, organic biodegradable wastes, etc. Secondly, they search general information about the solid waste chosen such as physic-chemical characteristics, environmental impact caused, quantity generated per year, conventional treatments developed in industry, etc. Furthermore, this activity is also useful to familiarize themselves with scientific search engines (Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, etc.) to find out what kind of information can be found, how to search for it and the ranking of relevance. At this point, students have to select a scientific paper published in a journal of high impact index (Q1) within the last five years, and whose subject is directly related to the management of the solid waste chosen. Here, students train the A16 (general competence) and C10 (specific competence) competences in order to acquire the ability to analyze and assess the social and environmental impact of technical solutions and basic knowledge, and application of environmental technologies and sustainability. Finally, students expose to their colleagues their bibliographical research, which is intended to favor the achievement of the general competence A4 (to be able to transmit information, ideas, problems and solutions to a public both specialized and non-specialized). In this context, this activity is established as a teaching methodology including research experiences focused on the links between education and research.

References:
[1] Mula, J., Díaz-Maroñero, M., Poler, R., 2008. Configuration of the bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering at Spanish universities. Dirección y Organización, nº 47, 5-20.
[2] Lucena, F.J.H., Díaz, I.A., Reche, M.P.C., Torres, J.M.T., García, G.G., 2019. Analysis of further education students’ attitudes regarding environmental pollution. A case study in Granada. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16, 905.

Keywords:

Team learning, bibliographic works, Environmental Technology, research experience, Engineering Degrees.