Development of oral and written communication as a generic competence in the professional training of Civil Engineering students

• Main Author: Yesenia Aréniz-Arévalo
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Universidad Francisco de Paula Santander 2017-07-01
• Series: Revista Perspectivas
• Subjects: generic skills; oral communication; written communication; academic literacy
• Online Access: http://revistas.ufps.edu.co/ojs/index.php/perspectivas/article/view/1314/1292

The contemporary world can be characterized by the dramatic changes brought on by globalization, the impact of information and communication technologies, the knowledge society and the commitment to manage diversity effectively. In this context, a significantly different type of higher education is needed to force the University to reevaluate its traditional functions and responsibilities regarding the type of professional the university is educating. Accordingly, the investigation aimed to evaluate the development of oral and written communication as a generic competence among students of Civil Engineering at the University Francisco de Paula Santander. For this, a predominantly qualitative, mixed method study design was used, complemented by questionnaires. The statistical analysis allowed us to describe and evaluate a set of inductive categories associated with oral and written communication, derived from a previously theorized deductive category. The enriched painting and analysis of writings were used as qualitative instruments; for the collection of data conducive to the quantitative analysis, a questionnaire with Likert - type scales was used, supported and complemented with statistical calculations from various control templates. The results establish the inductive categories that explain the students’ shortcomings as shown in the appropriation of this generic competence, which allows us to reflect about academic institution’s responsibility, even in higher education, to help students acquire and develop reading and writing skills.