Abstract:

Using e-Learning platforms for developing Tutorial Learning Planes in new degrees under the European Space for Higher Education Framework is the main goal of a group of several teachers in the Escuela Universitaria de Informatica of the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid. Coming from different Departments and different knowledge areas, this group of teachers is trying to explore the use of e-Learning platforms to share resources and information about tutoring student. This experimental experience is developed under an Educational Innovative Project supported by the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid.

The Tutoring Action Plan involves introduction courses to essential scientific foundation (Physics and Mathematics), effective study skills (time management, textbook study, lecture note taking, test taking and exam preparation), but also it takes care of students during their first two courses at the University driving their effort in the academic sense to integrate them in the University. Nowadays, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid has decided to make an important effort in order to improve their quality educational standards. This fact has been clearly assumed in its new undergraduate and postgraduate academic degrees, in which are described procedures for defining mechanisms for reception of new students, tutoring action plans and professional advising. In these documents are described the way in which tutors must participate during learning processes to efficiently contribute to integral formative process of future graduates.

In this framework, a specific Tutorial and Reception Action Plan has been specifically designed to lead and receive new students accepted into the Escuela Universitaria de Informatica. The main goal of this plan is to minimize the impact that these students suffers in their new academic situation. This goal is achieved through very simple partial objectives: to contribute integration at the School, to reduce negative consequences from academic level changes and to facilitate the searching of new successful strategies, to provide tools for improving work and study and to guide into decision taken and to promote small working and supporting group among colleges.

The whole project is supported by Moodle Platform at the UPM-web site. Using Communication and Information Technologies in learning process is profitable because of: interaction between student – teacher is increased, communication between students is very intensive due to working and discussing group creation supported by communicative web based tools, and finally providing access to a validated and selected educational resources in a very easy way to students.

This paper presents the Tutorial Action Plan web based-Platform developed ad hoc for this project and the different coordinated action among the responsible teachers, and how this platform can help to others teachers and School in order to accomplish the quality criteria demanded by the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid and the National Spanish Accreditation Agency (ANECA) for the new degrees under ESHE framework.

Keywords:

tutoring plans, e-learning, eshe, web.