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Preparation of technical posters as a tool to improve transversal competences of civil engineering studies

Abstract:

Adaptation to the European Higher Education Area implies a change of educational paradigm. In addition to the incorporation of academically directed activities and new tools for transmitting information, the change of approach also means new training explicitly oriented to develop the new professional competences. This paper presents the results from a funded teaching project aimed at exploring the use of the scientific poster as a tool to improve transversal competences in Civil Engineering students. To cope with this objective, a total of 68 civil engineering students from two different universities in Spain and Ireland were chosen. The poster design allows students to do in-depth research on a specific topic and to engage its research inquiry. The student's perception of this project was evaluated by means of two questionnaires surveyed prior and after the poster presentation. The research findings suggest that the scientific posters elaboration enables the development of different transversal competences of the students such as comprehension and integration, teamwork and leadership reinforcement, and effective communication. About 94% of respondents felt that this activity was valuable in improving their communication skills.