During the last years I have worked on different research topics. All of them have a common core: the use of computational techniques and artificial intelligence to model physical and biological systems.

Using machine learning to model students performance

I have developed several novel machine learning models to model students performance in a course. These models are capable of predicting whether a student will succeed in a course or will drop out.

Advanced computing methods applied to biology

I’m applying different algorithms and artificial intelligence techniques to simulate and analyze biological models.

Using Grid computing techniques and remote sensing data to monitor the Earth system

I spent three years working with Grid systems at the European Space Research Institute (ESA). There I developed several applications capable of monitoring diverse phenomena on a on a global scale using remote sensing data.

 

2020-2021

• Teaching Methods in Computer Science in the Master Degree in Education
• Computational Medicine in the Master Degree in Traslational Research and Personalized Medicine
• Theory of Computability in the Computer Science Degree
• Dental Informatics in the Odontology Degree

Teaching at Higher Education is one my passions. I periodically devote some time  to get training on how to improve my teaching skills.

I also spend some time in the development of innovations in teaching. I focus in real world applications of teaching metodologies that have been shown to be effective.

A teaching innovation example

Automatic assessment tools in introductory programming courses.

Our goal is to study the use of an automatic assessment tool –CodeRunner– in introductory programming courses. These tools assess exercises automatically and provide feedbak to students. Several studies have shown that these tools enhance students’ engagement and learning.

 

I’m also interested in the foundations of the scientific knowledge and the relations between science, technology and society. In the last two centuries science and technology have provided humanity with advances that could be only dreamed in the past. The consequences of these advances and its impact on society and the environment should be studied.

Philosophy of Science and Technology

My interest in the philosophy of science can be summarized in two questions

– Why are the results of scientific research so useful?
– What does science tell us about the world around us?

Science, Technology and Society

In the last decades, a more critical awareness of the consequences of science and technology has arisen. This has propelled the study of their role in society. Although this is a wide field of study my main interest lies in the problem of the two cultures as stated by C. P. Snow (1956).

 

Learning to program can be very difficult for students, since they must master language syntax, programming theory and problem solving techniques in a short period of time. Physical computing takes the computational concepts “out of the screen” and into the real world so that the student can interact with them, enhancing learning.

Following this paradigm we used the Arduino board to develop several learning modules to teach programming to science and engineering students. Lecturers explain a computational concept and, afterwards, reinforce it using the physical computing modules. For example, conditional structures are illustrated using a photocell, etc.

We have used these modules in several introductory programming courses for science and engineering students obtaining very good results: more students learnt to program and more students enjoyed programming.

 

Permanent position
Profesor Contratado Doctor Universidad de Granada

Contact
marubio@ugr.es
Mecenas Building Office 3
Telephone: +34958240466

Address
Departamento de Ciencias de la Computación e IA
ETSIIT
C/ Periodista Daniel Saucedo Aranda s/n
18071 – Granada.
España/Spain

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Currently I am an associate professor at the Department of Computer Sciences and Artificial Intelligence at the University of Granada. I teach computational and artificial intelligence topics to computer science students.  I also teach biomedical informatics to future health professionals.

My research involves the use of Machine Learning techniques to analyze and model scientific and biomedical datasets. My current project aims to use Artificial Intelligence models to analyze students’ learning also known as Learning Analytics.

My first steps in science took me to the field of solar energy research. I did my PhD at the Plataforma Solar de Almería. I’ve worked at the Center for Spatial Technologies And Remote Sensing (CSTARS) – University of California and at ESA’s European Space Research Institute (ESRIN) in Rome.

Driven by my thirst for knowledge my academic wanderings have covered very different topics. I’ve obtained different degrees in Mathematics, Physics, Computer Sciences, Economics and Business Administration.

In my spare time I enjoy reading, travelling and any outdoor activities you can think of. My usual suspects are hiking, alpinism, backcountry skiing and diving.