CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE USE OF ALTERNATIVE LEARNING METHODOLOGIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF KEY COMPETENCES

Resumen

University higher education is faced with the challenge of preparing graduates for a professional environment which, due to current circumstances, is considered a VUCA environment (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous). The development of competences such as adaptability, problem solving, application of knowledge to practice are key to successfully managing and overcoming VUCA situations. In this regard, teachers should include new learning methodologies such as collaborative learning, problem-based methodology or flipped classes for the development of these skills. This paper presents a critical analysis of the implementation of new methodologies in engineering degrees at the University of La Laguna. Surveys have been carried out among recent graduates of different engineering degrees, which have revealed the scarce implementation of innovative teaching methodologies. However, students may not be aware that these methodologies are being applied, as most of them do not know how to describe correctly what each of them is based on. The survey has also been used to find out the students' opinions about their preparation for their professional career. They showed the degree of development achieved with some competences and how they allow them to adapt to VUCA environments. The results of this work constitute a first step towards the development of key competences in recent engineering graduates.