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Pinto Almeida, Carlos
Digital Twins in Higher Education: Applications, Challenges, and Future Perspectives
Mechanical Performance of Volcanic Ash Concrete Showing Modulus Reduction with Strength Retention
2026
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Pinto Almeida, Carlos
The Fourth Industrial Revolution has introduced emerging technologies that are reshaping educational models, among them digital twins, originally developed in the aerospace industry as virtual representations of real systems. Their integration into higher education now enables the simulation of complex learning environments, monitoring of student performance, and personalization of learning processes. However, their adoption within university settings remains incipient, fragmented, and lacking in standardization, which limits their transformative potential. This situation underscores the need to systematize dispersed knowledge on their educational use. This study presents a review with a descriptive and exploratory approach, based on peer-reviewed scientific articles selected from databases such as Scopus, IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and Web of Science, published between 2018 and 2024. The findings indicate that digital twins are primarily applied for simulations (68%), learning monitoring (52%), and educational personalization (44%). Reported outcomes highlight improvements not only in learner autonomy, motivation, and acquisition of practical skills, but also in conceptual understanding, problem-solving abilities, and collaboration among students in project-based environments. At the institutional level, benefits include greater efficiency in resource management, reduction of physical laboratory costs, and continuity of teaching in hybrid or remote learning contexts. Nevertheless, challenges remain, including limited connectivity, high implementation costs, insufficient teacher training, and ethical risks. Digital twins represent a strategic technology for transforming higher education into more flexible, personalized, and sustainable models, provided they are supported by inclusive policies and adequate investment. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.
2025
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Pinto Almeida, Carlos
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Abril Camino, Andrés
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Daniel Abril-Camino
This study aims to evaluate the mechanical behavior of concrete that incorporates 51.3% raw volcanic ash into its structure, focusing on its static elasticity modulus and compressive strength. Cylindrical concrete samples were prepared via the mix design commonly used in practice in Baños, Tungurahua, Ecuador. Three curing methods were applied: immersion, water spraying, and no curing. Compressive strength tests were conducted at 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days, whereas the static modulus was measured at 28 days following ASTM C469. Despite the high use of ash in the mixture, the mixtures achieved adequate compressive strengths for structural applications, reaching 28.05 MPa. However, a significant reduction in the static modulus was observed, with experimental values of approximately 7.06 GPa, whereas the value of 24.89 GPa was predicted by the equations given in ACI318. The use of raw volcanic ash in structural mixes requires modifications to deformation and stiffness calculations to ensure seismic performance, suggesting the need to review local regulations on traditional mixes. Based on the experimental data, an alternative empirical model, the VAM model, was proposed to better predict the elastic modulus of concrete with high volcanic ash content. The findings reveal a dual function of ash, acting as a pozzolanic material and as a low-density aggregate, highlighting the need to adjust the design equations when raw volcanic ash is used. This work contributes to the sustainable design of concrete mixtures in seismic regions.