Teacher created hydraulic module to teach

By Juan Carlos Monzón - Communications Advisory Office

As part of its commitment to lifelong learning, the University of Cundinamarca is moving beyond models that simply transmit knowledge and information, shifting from an education focused on doing and working to an education focused on being. For this reason, it encourages professors to innovate and reinvent the educational process in the classroom. Today, we share the story of Professor Daniel Robledo, winner of the 4th Meeting of Innovative Experiences.

Creativity arises from the need to solve a problem. In this case, the professor, who works at the Facatativá extension and requires the use of a water laboratory for his classes, which only exists at the Girardot branch, was led to use his knowledge to manufacture a hydraulic module.

“Before the pandemic, with teacher Rolando Mendoza, we started its construction with some pipes, some tanks and a motor pump, but when we were confined, everything was postponed. Once the health emergency was over, I decided to resume the idea and put it into operation.”.

The change was immense, as the students' assimilation of the concepts was much faster. “Hydraulics is a very practical discipline. To achieve in-depth knowledge, it requires the manipulation of variables that students must observe and manage using instruments to analyze the behavior of, for example, water. Therefore, this tool was very helpful in their understanding of aspects such as how a water pump works, the recirculation and pumping processes, among other concepts. In short, my goal was for them not to just be doing mathematical formulas, but to compare them with real-world applications.”

The module operates in open spaces. This methodology addresses the MEDIT framework, which emphasizes the importance of students experiencing, solving problems, and taking action through interaction with the instructor, technology, assessment, and real-world situations. “There, they see how the entire setup works. I've had students from the program who have already taken the hydraulics course tell me, ”We would have liked to see that course taught with that system as part of our training.’”.

This type of equipment, like the one the university has in Girardot, is expensive. “Some are manufactured in the United Kingdom and can cost up to 150 million pesos; therefore, this idea helps to partially address the lack of this module at our campus.”.

Finally, this insightful teacher doesn't hesitate to offer advice to other knowledge managers, as he clearly understands that transmodernity is directly related to the use and application of new technologies to all learning processes. “They should have a dynamic teaching process and not get stuck in theory, which is key, but not everything. That's why I recommend that you always keep in mind that students get bored if we only use that one pedagogical tool. They want to learn by doing, which is why we must look for alternatives.”.

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