With the purpose of strengthening the projects developed within the framework of the calls that make up the 2025 ICT Portfolio, the Vicerrectoría Académica UIS presented the awards granted to the professors from the Departamento de Cirugía and the Escuelas de Geología y de Ingeniería Metalúrgica y Ciencia de los Materiales UIS, winners of the OVA and INNOVA-TIC 2025 Call.
The proposal titled “Initial Treatment of the Burned Patient” by Professor Jorge Andrés Rueda Gutiérrez, from the al Departamento de Cirugía, Facultad de Salud, was selected as the winner of the OVA-TIC 2025 Call. As a result, he received a DJI Mini 3 Drone (DJI RC) as the designated award.
It is worth noting that this Virtual Learning Object (OVA) is still under development and is expected to be completed by the end of this month. Below are some images of the audiovisual product.
Meanwhile, under the INNOVA-TIC Call, three proposals were selected as winners in the 2025 edition.
First, “GAIRA: Geology + Artificial Intelligence + Augmented Reality,” developed by Professors Francisco Alberto Velandia Patiño, Sergio Andrés García Arias, and Joaquín Andrés Valencia Ortiz from the Escuela de Geología. They received as an award an Oculus META Quest 3, which enables immersive visualization of digital twins in Sketchfab, allowing students to simulate fieldwork and sample classification in virtual reality, thus enhancing understanding without the need for physical displacement.
Likewise, from the Escuela de Ingeniería Metalúrgica y Ciencia de los Materiales, Professors Carlos Andrés Galán Pinilla and Ana María Pérez Ceballos received an award for their proposal “Development of Digital Tools for Innovative Teaching of Strength of Materials.”
Their prize consisted of a Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 315IRH8 laptop, which will be used to implement the application’s development environment and simulations.
Regarding the recognition, Professor Galán Pinilla expressed: “It is an acknowledgment that encourages us to continue participating in these types of calls organized by the university to innovate in teaching multiple subjects and to develop new ways of teaching complex topics.”
The INNOVA-TIC 2025 Call also recognized the proposal “MetFisTIC: ICT Self-Learning Module Incorporating Simulations and AI for Learning Fundamental Concepts of Physical Metallurgy,” submitted by Professors Pedro Luis Delvasto Angarita and Walter Perdavé Livia, from the Escuela de Ingeniería Metalúrgica y Ciencia de los Materiales. Their award included: a graphics tablet, headset, webcam, pointer, and a 34” monitor.
Professor Delvasto Angarita stated: “I find this very important, not only because it recognizes the relevance of innovation in teaching, but also because incorporating new technologies in education is essential. We must remain at the forefront if we want the university to keep advancing.”
The Vicerrectora Académica, Olga Mercedes Álvarez Ojeda, highlighted the importance of these initiatives, stating: “For Universidad Industrial de Santander, it is highly satisfying to have professors who are so curious and eager to innovate, to integrate new learning technologies, and to motivate their students to engage more deeply with their subjects and achieve better performance.”
She added: “With these awards, we conclude this year’s university calls. We had three beautiful initiatives, each with different approaches. The first, AVA-TIC, focuses on the virtual learning classroom, where professors receive support from assistants to develop their courses on the Moodle platform. The second, OVA-TIC, provides a human support team to help professors create Virtual Learning Objects with full creative freedom. Finally, INNOVA-TIC, which we just awarded, allows professors—such as those from the Facultad de Salud and the Facultad de Ingenierías Fisicoquímicas —to freely design their pedagogical innovation projects. Based on a proposed budget, they can acquire various equipment to strengthen their teaching strategies. Although this year’s calls have closed, we invite everyone to participate again next year, bringing all their creativity, innovation, and passion for pedagogy to the 2026 edition.”
These proposals are UIS Pride, as they contribute to transforming pedagogical practices within the university. They will positively impact teaching and learning processes through the use of ICT tools to meet the challenges of the new era, fostering digital literacy, problem-solving, and creativity. The initiatives promote individualized learning, global collaboration, digital competence, and a culture of continuous innovation.
