Research feeds back into teaching innovation and vice versa.

The Teaching Innovation Support Office at Comillas Pontifical University organised the 4th conference for the presentation of the university's own Teaching Innovation Projects for the academic year 2022-23, a meeting which was opened by the Vice-Rector for Academic Strategy, Innovation and Internationalisation, Paloma Bilbao.

During her speech, the vice-rector recalled the importance of teaching innovation, "which must continue to spread throughout the university to other groups and lecturers so that they can see the importance of these processes. I ask you once again to encourage your colleagues," she said. "I also invite you to form inter-faculty teams and networks to continue spreading the benefits of teaching innovation.

The conference was inaugurated with a presentation by Isabel Muñoz San Roque and Gonzalo Aza Blanc, lecturers from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (Comillas CIHS). Under the title "Research and Innovation: a challenge in our university", the lecturers discussed how research can have a bearing on educational innovation processes, and vice versa.

During the conference, the following projects were presented: "Diseño de Learning Paths para la asignatura de Visualización de Datos" by Luis Francisco Sánchez Merchante; "STAT WARS", by Raquel Caro Carretero and the students Isabela Goetsch Abella and Álvaro Carpio Serrano; "E-learning Comillas PREU-MAT", by Santiago Cano Casanova; "Desarrollo de un generador automático de exámenes del tema control tensión-reactiva a partir de casos PSS/E", by Enrique Lobato Miguélez; "Maths Team Contest: Refinamiento y ampliación de metodologías docentes" by David Alfaya Sánchez, and "Sustainable Development: Inmersión real y Gamificación" by Carlos Morales Polo.

After some time for discussion and a short break, the session resumed with the presentation of the projects "Los Indicadores clave para el aprendizaje presencial con apoyo de recursos online" by María Ana Sáenz Nuño; "Procedimientos para la corrección automática e integración con sistemas de evaluación segura", by Rafael Palacios Hielscher; "Saber y saber hacer: Why not? Enseñar y aprender en la universidad", by Eduard López Hortelano; "Innovación educativa con redes sociales aplicada a la asignatura de salud pública", by María Rodríguez Ortega; "El juego de fuga como actividad de evaluación de los conocimientos aprendidos en la asignatura de Fisiología humana", by María Victoria Montes Gan; "Las TIC en la evaluación continua: el uso del e-portfolio en la asignatura de Cooperación Internacional al Desarrollo", by Heike Clara Pintor Pirzkall, and "Elaboración de materiales didácticos digitales para la docencia en el área de relaciones internacionales", by Mario Lopez Areu.

As a novelty for the next call 2023-24, the office, in collaboration with the Office of the Vice Rector for Academic Strategy, Internationalisation and Innovation and the Office of the Vice Rector for Research and Teaching Staff, will offer a differentiated call for Learning and Service Projects (ApS). This initiative stems from the work carried out by the recently created ApS area, with the aim of promoting the institutionalisation of this methodology, which helps to foster students' social responsibility and commitment. In addition, it is expected that teaching innovation projects related to artificial intelligence will have a prominent presence.

Both calls will be announced before the end of the month. From then on, interested lecturers will be able to receive advice from the Teaching Innovation Support Office for the submission of projects, either in the field of teaching innovation or Learning and Service. In the near future, the office will also make available the recordings of the teaching innovation project presentations in order to facilitate access to information and encourage participation.