Research as a Learning Methodology: Learning about Smart Cities

Abstract

In the current context of Higher Education, not only teaching processes matter, learning processes are increasingly essential. It is a challenge for teachers to move towards student-centred teaching models that allow the competences of 'learning to learn' and 'lifelong learning' to be strengthened. In this sense, the teaching-research binomial, understanding research as a learning methodology, is an opportunity both for undergraduate and postgraduate university education. The objective of this work is to describe the experience developed at the University of Alicante, specifically in some of the undergraduate and master's subjects in the field of Urbanism, proposing research as a key driver for the learning process. The educational action carried out consisted of introducing in the classroom the Smart City concept and proposing the research of the current and future general overview of the intelligence of cities in Spain. The work describes the teaching-learning methodologies used and the results achieved in the different subjects, obtaining as a conclusion the comparative study of them.