“On the shoulders of giants” the history of women and men in Physics as a teaching innovation in Engineering degrees

Abstract

This paper describes the results of the teaching innovation project. It was putting into practice at the School of Engineering of the University of Cádiz during the academic year 2016/2017. It was called "If I have seen further it is because I am sitting on the shoulders of giants. A little history of Women and Men in the history of Science and Engineering in the classrooms of the Higher School of Engineering". The main objective of the project was to inform the students of the first year of the Degrees of Electricity, Industrial Electronics, Industrial Technology, Aerospace, about the biographies and the contributions of some of the "giants" of the Physics and Engineering. It supposed a recovery of the History of the Physics in the teaching in the Degrees of Engineering. Moreover, we have tried to make visible some of these researches, especially, the feminine scientists. The realization of this project has increased the motivation of the students for the learning of physics. Knowing the biographies, contributions, successes and failures of great scientists, predisposes students to understand more complex concepts and, at the same time, taking those giants as a source of inspiration.