Developing student competences through an alumni-professor learning collaboration model

© 2019 IISE Annual Conference and Expo 2019. All rights reserved.The development of co-curricular competences at undergraduate level in Engineering is one of the key aspects required by employers. From a University point of view, most academic programs are focused on developing disciplinary skills. Therefore, these academic programs fall short in developing co-curricular competences that enable students to independently apply technical tools and methodologies in a real context. Through a capstone design course, this work presents an alumni-professor learning collaboration model that involves an active and direct participation of the stakeholders, along with natural link with the industry. This model capitalizes the alumni experience through their coaching and support, which include periodic assessments where students receive feedback on their progress and co-curricular competences. Thus, a set of instruments are designed to measure the student progress and results, ensuring an integral assessment in which the organization, alumni, professor and students participate. As a result, the overall perception by professionals and leaders from different organizations is that: First, the students' contribution is valuable and applicable; and second, students are more prepared to face future professional challenges and acquire competences that only take place outside the classroom.

Developing student competences through an alumni-professor learning collaboration model Academic Article in Scopus