The Second EELISA Research-based Learning Symposium was celebrated on May 17-19, 2023, in Pisa. An event which featured special sessions focused on the best practices of the EELISA Communities, as well as the presentation of research papers selected as part of the EELISA Scientific Student’s Competition.
The main topic of discussion that was tackled during these three days was Research-based learning (RBL); a paradigm of education where students/learners are exposed to a research problem in their field with the aim of acquiring knowledge and skills through practical experience.
Darío Fernández was one of the students that had the chance to participate as a speaker at the Symposium, along with other fellow Technical School of Building Engineering (ETSEM) students and teachers, to present their initiative to help families experiencing energy poverty. Learn about his experience in this #EELISANarrators article:
As students of the Technical School of Building Engineering (ETSEM) at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, we participated in the Second Research-Based Learning Symposium of EELISA, which took place from May 17th to 19th, 2023, in Pisa, Italy.
Similar to its first edition which took place in Istanbul last year, the main idea that makes this event greatly successful is the constant search for improving the way we teach students, leading to the implementation of new methodologies, the use of innovative technologies, and continuous teacher training. During the conference, we had the opportunity to learn about the experiences of professors, researchers, and even students from different EELISA Communities to get an insight on how they applied such research methodologies.
At the School of Building Engineering at UPM, we have been working on a research project focused on the use of good energy practices. In collaboration with students from the Down Foundation of Madrid, we developed and published a guide called “Good Practices”, which consists on a book that provides advice and assistance as an information source for families experiencing energy poverty. This Service-Learning project has been promoted by the EELISA Community: Egalitarian Societies: Opportunities for Everyone.
On the first day, we went to Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in this Italian city, where the initial conferences on RBL Approaches took place. Notably, D. Gabriel Pinto (UPM) delivered a presentation. During these early hours of the conference, we had the opportunity to speak with numerous representatives from EELISA partner universities, sharing experiences and delving deeper into their interventions. In the afternoons, we had the opportunity to enjoy a student competition, where students from different universities presented the results of their ongoing research studies, categorized by research branches.
The following day, we headed to the Scuola Normale Superiore, where the second day of the Symposium was held. Together with Professor Javier García, my colleague Alejandro Barrera, and I presented our service-learning projects on which we have been working for the past few months, titled “Moving for Energy Poverty” and “Get Active”. You can take a look at our projects HERE.
During these days, we heard and learned about numerous topics. We adapted to different cultures and taught what we already knew, and it is right there where you realize how enriching and transcendent these types of events are, something much more beyond what it may seem.
Darío Fernández Valiente
ETSEM (UPM)
Check out the video tour of the Second EELISA RBL Symposium recorded by Darío:
More about Darío:
Darío Fernández Valiente is a 3rd year student of the Double Degree Architecture and Business at the Technical School of Building Engineering (ETSEM) from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, in Spain.
He has research experience in Environmental Sciences and Building Maintenance, and he is also interested in content creation, marketing and vide-recording and editing.