ENGINEERING EDUCATION: IMPORTING METHODOLOGIES WITHOUT THEIR PHILOSOPHICAL FRAMEWORK

摘要

Students who pursue engineering and technical degrees know that they will probably get involved in more demanding courses than undergraduates engaged in non-technical studies. This reputation of engineering subjects seems to be the same everywhere. However, it is hard to assess what part of the difficulty comes from the material itself, and what part can be attributed to the methodology employed to convey technical knowledge. The former admits few modifications, but the latter impacts significantly the learning experience of students. A recent tendency in Spanish technical universities seems to follow a consistent drop in the preparation, attitude and motivation of the students. In order to counterweigh that trend, an important effort has been made by high education institutions to import ideas and pedagogical formulas that have been successful in other countries. However, there is a risk whenever a methodology is brought from a system and introduced in another system which has a different philosophical and cultural background, because what can be successful in one system might not work in the other one. This article describes some reflections on the introduction of certain pedagogical approaches to the Spanish university system, and establishes an experience-based parallelism between this system and the United States academic system. Several recommendations and propositions are included throughout the text, such as the intensification of practical training, the inclusion of weekly homework in the course program, the elimination of make-up exams outside the semester timeframe, and the academic and financial reward for dedicated instructors.