Innovating beyond the classroom

Raúl García Hémonnet/Editor

Next week, the latest trends in teaching and educational innovation will be the focus of attention at the Rey Juan Carlos University. The Centre for Teaching Innovation and Digital Education (CIED) has prepared a large number of activities, workshops and presentations on how to take these practices outside the classroom walls. As Jaime Urquiza, academic director of the CIED, points out, “most of the time that a student dedicates to the learning process is located outside the classroom. Therefore, innovation should not remain within the classroom, it should have an impact, or even take place outside of it.”

The programme starts on Monday with the 'II Innovation Meeting for Faculties and Schools' which will serve to "make known what is being done in our centres in this area and generate work synergies", according to the CIED. This section will include the participation of URJC professors and students.

On November 12th, the 'VI Educational Innovation Workshops' will be held, in line with the theme of the Week. Within this framework, the 'Innovation in motion: how to start using field practices as a teaching resource' workshop will take place, led by Raquel Herrera Espada, María Najarro de la Parra and Fidel Martín González. The 'Photogrammetry and 3D workshop applied to the creation of open educational resources and their use in the classroom' will also be held, led by Alberto Polo Romero. "Both are full and have a waiting list," the organizers point out.

XI Conference on Teaching Innovation

On November 13 and 14, the 'XI Teaching Innovation Conference' will be held exclusively in person, with all registrations for teachers sold out, and only 6 places available for students. With presentations and round tables with experts from the URJC and the inaugural conference 'Activating students in the era of 'mobile dependency', Utopian or possible?', by Pep Hernández, from the Complutense University of Madrid.

For the fourth year, students have a space in the Conferences, to give them a voice. “For several years now, students have played a fundamental role in the week. On the one hand, they are part of the work teams of the Meeting of Faculties and Schools. On the other, they have a space reserved for them in the Conferences on Teaching Innovation, which usually arouse great interest,” explains Urquiza.

In addition, three sessions will be held to present papers and, for the second year, recognition will be given to the best papers presented.

To close the Conference, the 2024 Innovative Teachers Award and the Recognition of Excellent Teachers of the DOCENTIA Program will be presented.

Reaching this edition, the sixth, means “the consolidation of educational innovation as an important aspect within the academic world, since it covers several different areas, mainly the institutional one, by directly involving schools and faculties; and the formative one, by offering workshops to teachers interested in their professional development, as well as a forum to discuss the innovative experiences carried out” says Jaime Urquiza, who adds that “the URJC is very active in the field of educational innovation and its initiatives are recognized by other universities, which is giving rise to inter-university collaborations in this area.”

Without a doubt, this is an essential programme of activities for all those interested in teaching in a different and creative way, which, as in all editions, has already sold out.