Focus on content to focus on competencies: Impacts on Engineering curricula

Abstract

In this paper we analyze the teaching model based on competencies and the changes provoked in Engineering courses, ranging from new ways of conceiving formation, new approaches of Teaching and Learning and also new evaluation and assessment strategies. The change proposed by the 1999 Bologna Project and, in Brazil, the discussion on the National Curricular Guidelines for Engineering courses, dated 2002, on the objectives of the undergraduate courses, points in a different direction in higher education design courses. Besides the legal aspects discussed in these proposals, there is a change on focus in the construction of the curricular matrices of the courses. Historically, Engineering courses were built from the knowledge necessary for the professional exercise, which led to focus on the minimum contents that student should have. What is perceived in the discussions is that focus changes to the Engineer's competencies, that is, in addition to establishing what the student should know, establishes what he/she should do with acquired knowledge. Documents are concerned with establishing technical skills and transversal skills: communication, teamwork, problem solving, adaptability to new technologies and new market scenarios. This also leads to a change in the way courses are constructed, conducted and assessed. Regarding the classes, to change the focus of the contents to the projects, in the laboratories change the focus of the scripted classes in favor to experimentation. If we are used to assess knowledge, we now need to broaden the assessment by addressing other aspects such as participation in project design and construction, how experiments are conducted, and what concepts and conclusions have been reached. This also leads to a change in the way courses are constructed, conducted and also in forms of assessment. Regarding the practical classes, changing focus from contents to projects, in the laboratories change the focus from scripted classes to classes that favor experimentation. If we are used to assess knowledge, we now need to broaden the assessment by addressing other aspects such as participation in project design and construction, how experiments are conducted, and what conclusions they have reached. © 2019 University of Minho. All rights reserved.