- Background on the pilot
The pilot was carried out in the first course of Physical Engineering at the School of Telecommunication Engineers of the Polytechnic University of Valencia. The subject is called Fundamentals of Business Organization.
It is a group of 75 students who are in the first year of the degree. The experience began on February 14 and the calendar sets the end of the course at the beginning of June 2024.
The distribution of the 6 credits is as follows: Theory 3 credits, Classroom practice 2, Laboratory practicals 1 credit.
The students are not motivated with Business Management and their interest is especially focused on science and technology.
This is the welcome message to the students that somehow reflects the purpose of it while trying to convince the students to get involved in learning.
As an engineering and physics student, you are probably passionate about science and technology, and you want to apply your knowledge to solve problems and create innovative solutions.
But do you know how to turn your ideas into profitable and sustainable projects, do you know the opportunities and challenges in the marketplace, and do you have the skills to lead teams, negotiate with customers and partners, and manage resources?
If you want to broaden your professional horizons and make the most of your potential, you need to know the business and economic world.
Understanding how companies work and how they are managed will open up new opportunities and give you a broader perspective of your professional future.
That is why the course "Fundamentals of Business Organization" will help you take the first steps to acquire the concepts and tools that will allow you to understand and participate in the business environment, thus boosting your career and contributing to social development.
This is the logo of the course that was generated using Dall-e including tech and business graphical elements.
The course works with innovation competencies and social and environmental commitment.
The most relevants skills and competences of this course are the next ones:
- - Students have demonstrated knowledge and understanding in an area of study that builds on the foundation of general secondary education, and is typically at a level that, while relying on advanced textbooks, also includes some aspects that involve knowledge from the cutting edge of their field of study.
- Students are able to apply their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional manner and possess the skills that are typically demonstrated through the development and defense of arguments and problem solving within their field of study.
- That students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (usually within their area of study) to make judgments that include reflection on relevant social, scientific or ethical issues. CB4(GE) Students are able to convey information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialized and non-specialized audiences.
- Know how to gather and handle any source of information related to Engineering Physics and make reasoned judgments about it, as well as apply mechanisms of scientific and technological surveillance.
- Know the processes of innovation management and technology transfer, to apply them in the performance of professional activities related to innovation and development in companies with a technological profile.
- Knowing how to write and develop projects aimed at the design and development or exploitation of devices and systems of direct interaction with the physical environment, based on the fundamental principles of Physics.
- To know how to solve problems with initiative, decision-making, creativity, and to communicate and transmit knowledge, skills and abilities, understanding the ethical and professional responsibility of the activity of the Graduate in Engineering Physics.
- That students have developed those learning skills necessary to undertake further studies with a high degree of autonomy.
The syllabus of the course is as follows:
Management
- Introduction to the company
- Strategic analysis
- Organizational structure
- Functional Areas
- Management
- Human Resources
- Finance
- Operations
- Marketing
- Technology and Information Systems.
- Objectives of the pilot
Students should understand the relevance of business management for their future career as engineers. The pilot focuses on the development of an entrepreneurship project that aims to apply technology, especially information and communication technologies to support an initiative that contributes to making Valencia a smart city. In this way, the initiative is related to the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically goal 17: that cities are inclusive environments facilitating the lives of their inhabitants.
- Methods, models and practices
At the beginning of the semester, students were introduced to the relationship between business models, business processes and current ICT. Practical activities have allowed the definition of a business model using ICT that contributes to SDG 11 which aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
Lab practices included demand forecasting and marketing process management. In all activities, creativity in problem solving was valued. Students were introduced to the concepts of critical thinking and innovation.
A survey was conducted with voluntary participation and focus on the dimensions of the FINCODA model that this pilot was assigned. The results are presented in the following section.
- Results (based on Questions for participating teachers and Students)
Test focus (NA related, what will be tested, number of 8 category): 3, 4
Feedback focus (Assessment Tool, Training Package, Storyline): (Assessment Tool)
54 students have answered this question.
The dimension 3 V3[CR03]. Draws on what you've shown in a context where you need to be innovative or help a team to be innovative (whether in a job in your organization or in your work as a student) and keep it throughout the assessment. How do you consider your ability to.... [Create original solutions to problems or exploit opportunities.
The range is # 1: Needs a lot of improvement#100: Excellent]
The results: two missing values.
count 53 valid values
mean 73.826923
std 19.466842
min 35.000000
25% 59.750000
50% 73.000000
75% 87.750000
max 100.000000
2. Mode: 100. The mode is 100, which means it is the value that appears most frequently in the dataset.
3. Median: 73.0. The median is 73, indicating that 50% of the data is below this value and 50% above.
4. Range: 65. The range is the difference between the maximum and minimum values, showing the total dispersion of the data.
5. Variance: 378.96. Variance measures the dispersion of the data relative to the mean.
6. Coefficient of variation: 26.37%. This value indicates a moderate variability in relation to the mean.
7. Skewness: -0.31. The negative skewness indicates that the distribution has a longer tail to the left (lower values).
8. Kurtosis: -0.98. The negative kurtosis suggests that the distribution is flatter (platykurtic) than a normal distribution.
General interpretation:
* The data has a fairly dispersed distribution, with a wide range of 65 points.
* The mean (73.83) is slightly higher than the median (73.0), which is consistent with the slight negative skewness.
