Abstract:

This paper presents the first results of the innovative education project carried out in Moncloa Campus (Madrid) in 2018 and supported by the Technical University of Madrid (UPM). A multidisciplinar working group with students from different backgrounds was trained and formed in Moncloa Campus to support humanitarian aid organizations in quasi-real-time mapping of the impacts of disasters and catastrophes (earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanic events, floods, ...). Additionally, the group was also trained into the Missing Maps initiative, devoted to map areas that are in perpetual need or humanitarian risk in collaboration with organizations such as the Red Cross and Médecins Sans Frontières. This initiative is carried out hand in hand with Geoinquietos, a group of professionals committed to the generation of open cartographic data in the frame of OpenStreetMap and Humanitarian OSM (HOTOSM). The project has a double purpose: formative and humanitarian. The training aspect is materialized in the acquisition of relevant specific and transversal competences on Geomatics and Cartography, as well as in Team Working. The humanitarian purpose is based on the possibility of joining a significant number of volunteers to support organizations and governments in the most important moments after disasters. A first group was formed in Moncloa Campus, with around 20 volunteers that were trained during three sessions in humanitarian mapping. Then, the group worked together in six mapping sessions on HOTOSM. Additionally, the group participated in the workshop "Towards an evidence-based decision-making for Cities in Africa" on 24-25 May. After this workshop, the group began collaborating with the Working Group for the Makeni Human Observatory (CEU-UPM-UN-Habitat). This collaboration will continue in course 2018-19. A new group will be promoted in the South Campus, also in Madrid. First results show that students acquired relevant training in Geographic Information Systems and Humanitarian Aid, achieving specific (ICT and Geomatics) and cross-cutting skills (teamwork, international cooperation, humanitarian aid).

Keywords:

Challenge-based learning, Specific competences, Cross-disciplinary competences, Social networks, Teamwork, ICT.