This work emphasizes the importance of incorporating some elements in educational teacher learning in higher education institutions, given the demands of the current work environment.
What is presented allows reflection for the design and application of an educational model with a collaborative approach, in learning in higher education organizations.
The vision that is exposed is given on a macro-social level and its content is fundamentally the product of learning in action, through the years of work in consulting, teaching, research and the direction of the authors.
Today's world imposes, with emphasis on the development of knowledge, which calls for constant, systematic and updated information, a profound mental change, an understanding of the dominant culture and the need for training and learning.
This means permanent registration and use of advances in knowledge, constant improvement of management processes and perennial attention to the needs to learn-act at their own intensity and pace as required for adaptation to the environment.
In this sense, the importance of learning is known, but this as a continuous process of renewal and development, since currently what is beneficial, in the future it may not be, this is influenced by advances in science and technology, those that are becoming more and more vertiginous and accelerated in time, this line of reflection indicates, not only updating and managing knowledge, but it is extremely necessary to develop and manage emotions where they will become the essential competence of the company of tomorrow.
There are certain forces that move in the business environment. See figure 1.
Figure No. 1 Forces that move the business environment
Companies operate in an environment characterized by:
- Increasing globalization of markets, both in supply sources and in sales. Markets open to mixed economies with interrelated companies. Intensification of cooperation mechanisms between companies within the same sector and outside of these, with joint business strategies. Acceleration of technological competence -which implies a reduction in the life cycles of products- and in direct relation to the rapid obsolescence of processes. Extension of technology to all fields, and interaction between them. Integration of products and services, and attention to product services. Optical towards demand instead of supply. Greater impact of the turbulence in the environment, its configuring elements, crises and changes, on internal systems and their operation.Strong movement to convert companies into systems of a sociotechnical nature with growth in technology and humanity. Quality as a differentiating element of companies. Growth of the needs of balance between the movements of the environment and a new internal order. Generalization of thinking about the need to create an identity of permanent change in organizations. Rapid evolution of business activity with recognition of the requirement of transformation of its culture, as a condition of its improvement. Intensification of the ecological movement and condemnation of natural degradation. Women in leadership A service-oriented society. A revolution of consciousness. An emphasis on knowledge as a differentiating indicator between nations.Company with an emphasis on collaboration and cooperation. Holistic learning. (Cruz, 2004)
At present, thinking about a production process or the provision of a service within the framework of quality necessarily refers us to thinking about teamwork, said in a more specific way in collaborative work, that is, in coordinated actions. of a group of people, either in person or virtually, who have a common goal and who actively collaborate to achieve a goal.
The company has to respond to the demands of the present, to the changes that are increasingly intense and frequent, which is why its work systems have to consider different ways of doing things where the organizational culture plays a fundamental role. Process management and sustainable development, continuous improvement in production and services, participatory leadership, quality management systems, decentralization, changes in organizational structures towards flatter and more flexible structures, continuous learning and systematic, each time they become necessary. In all this organizational environment, teamwork has been seen as another alternative that helps companies be competitive.
It is a reality that teamwork has taken on significant importance and relevance in organizations, which has made managers and consultants in organizational development emphasize, since its implementation supports employee motivation, production and satisfaction in the job. On the other hand, it emphasizes the interdependence of the group members and ensures success in the design of teamwork.
This panorama is a challenge for the current company, for this reason the question arises, what are entrepreneurs looking for in professionals? There are different criteria and points of view in this regard, but it is agreed that today, just being an expert is not enough in the area of technical and cultural knowledge, but it is essential to also have social skills, attitudes and moral values.
Different investigations such as Evers, Rush and Berdrow 1998, point out that the knowledge acquired at the university is not enough to determine that the recent graduate will be successful in his new job. They consider that it is the skills and values that determine the success of a new employee or professional in labor.
This leads us to reflect on the role of learning in universities, where a traditional teaching model is followed, here the student only "receives" knowledge, it would be necessary to wonder how long this lasts, if it is short, medium or long term, if it is still valid or updated, as well as the way in which the student is assimilating them.
The university must remain attentive to the orientations of the current environment and know the nature of the demands of the organizations. This leads us to the need to generate spaces where the university and society interact, for which the demands of the market, technology and organization must be known.
We can find countless writings that talk about the divorce between the university educational system and the demands of society. Also several articles on what should be the ideal profile of the graduates that are required.
Students of the subject agree that a talent focused solely on being an expert in the knowledge of a certain specialty is not enough, they mention that this can easily be perfected through training in the company, and thus train to know this or that system or process, and they propose that at present it is necessary to have the ability to coordinate and motivate heterogeneous teams.
To reinforce and conclude some personal characteristics that most interest employers, reference is made to the article Looking for work? by Myriam Grajales-Hall where he lists 10 of them, with which other scholars and authors agree, in addition to considering that neither the country, nor the city, nor the university, nor the company that is hiring matters so much.
The characteristics mentioned by Grajales-Hall are:
- Ability to communicate verbally and in writing Sincerity and integrity Interpersonal relationships (getting along with others) Motivation and initiative Strong work ethics Ability to work in a team Analytical skills Flexibility and adaptability Computer skills Be thorough and observant
The foregoing confronts us with the need to approach a professional profile for their success.
Figure No.2 Successful professional
Taking into account the components of this Profile is essential in the selection of a current professional, it is for this reason that we consider that different organizations, although they define their demands in this regard, before their own organizational conditions, have an approach to this reality.
Taking into account the above, we consider that the social needs and the required profile in higher education educational institutions should change from a traditional educational model to an educational model that responds to improving the current demands of society, focusing the process on learning in the active role of the student and in a live student-student, educator-student interaction.
An example of the above is reflected in the model that is developed at the Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico, see Table 1 below.
| Traditional Educational Model
It is centered on the teacher. It is focused on teaching. Apply individualized learning. Develop skills, as well as attitudes and values in a lateral way. It uses the teacher's presentation as the predominant didactic method. It uses technology additionally. |
TEC Educational Model.
It is student-centered. It is focused on learning. Apply collaborative and individual learning. Develops skills, attitudes and values in a planned and programmed way, and their achievement is evaluated. Use a variety of teaching techniques. Use technological resources to enrich and make the learning process more efficient. |
Table No.1 Characteristics of the traditional model in contrast to the educational model of the Tecnológico de Monterrey.
It is a reality that an educational model that guides the work of higher education institutions is extremely important for:
Guaranteeing the preparation of graduates, their connection with social and business needs.
Develop skills in students in correspondence with the current development of science, technology and research
It is noteworthy that the World Declaration on Higher Education in the XXI Century: Vision and Action, issued on October 9, 1998, in article 9 refers to the need for HEIs (Institutions of Higher Education) to renew their educational methods to be innovative, respond to social needs and develop critical and creative thinking in students
The Millennium Project of the UN emphasizes the importance of an educational model that guarantees in an operational way the achievement of the educational mission and vision of HEIs (Higher Education Institutions), especially its training proposals, this situation encourages that in These institutions design educational models that ensure a change in the role of the teacher and the student to guarantee the integral development of the students and thus comply with the integral information that the citizens give to society that it requires.
If we take into account that the programs of higher education institutions have to emphasize the skills, attitudes and values of people, we consider that some of them could be:
Skills: self-learning, creativity, decision-making, conflict management, assertiveness, interpersonal communication, use of information technology and communications, teamwork, entrepreneur, visionary, proactive.
Values: honesty, commitment, collaboration, respect, perseverance.
A non-traditional model implies changing both pedagogical, structural and administrative processes. For example, the use of a web platform that allows the teacher-facilitator to plan the learning activities, in addition to using it as a virtual means of learning and interaction with the students, searching for didactic techniques that facilitate learning in the student, according to the Intensions and objectives of each subject.
An essential component of the educational model would be the teaching and learning process, in which students assume an active and committed role in their own learning under the direction and guidance of the teacher.
Through this process, students, in addition to acquiring relevant and meaningful knowledge, develop the ability to investigate and learn on their own. The importance of collaborative learning, its improvement through continuous feedback from their teachers, strengthens their ethical behavior.
Taking into account in the current labor demand the ability "teamwork" the University of today must respond to these demands and for which it is necessary to apply didactic technique on collaborative learning, which allows in our opinion to show some concepts, which they can help to train future professionals with this skill.
Talking about "training people" is not easy, so the university has the task of defining what is understood by each of the skills, values and attitudes that its mission proposes. Some of these aspects were explained in previous paragraphs.
Given that this article emphasizes the ability to work in a team, as it is a current labor demand requirement, the following are some ideas that the institution of higher education should take into account for the training of the future professional.
Something fundamental is to be clear about the concept of teamwork and consider its association with the concepts of trust / interdependence. These two terms that are manifested in group action, so that in the action and the effect of achieved in the synergy that is achieved, it is implicit to put part of oneself in a specific work or operation where others participate and allow to enhance the results harmoniously.
Working collaboratively implies interdependence for the achievement of the goal and equality in the position that is kept in front of the group by all the members. This does not mean that it must be a homogeneous structure but, on the contrary, the same heterogeneity gives more richness to the group's work.
Collaborative learning is a fundamental element to develop in students the skills to work in teams and to achieve the necessary trust and interdependence. This favors improving not only the academic performance of students, but also stimulating and improving their intellectual and socialization abilities, basically due to the crucial role of interaction with other people.
In our opinion, the above allows us to enhance the development of both logical intelligence and the development of so-called emotional intelligence and encourage social competence.
To achieve the development of an attitude and skills for collaboration when describing or selecting teaching-learning strategies, it is necessary to think about the generation of cooperative situations, that is, situations in which the goals of the different individuals are united in such a way. so that there is a positive correlation between work processes and the achievement of your objectives. In this context, the individuals who collaborate in a group will achieve their goal only if the other participants also achieve their own goal. Consequently, these people will tend to cooperate with each other to achieve their respective goals.
In this context, the university must promote through all its activities that its students develop the ability to work as a team, through:
- Have communication skills that allow you to know how to make requests, offers and claims, as well as listen, negotiate and take responsibility for your promises. Respect the contributions of the other members of your group, even when they go against your own. Put group purposes before personal ones. Recognize when teamwork is the most convenient way to work, that is, when it truly generates added value to the final product. Learn to live together to participate and cooperate in various human activities. Recognize the different skills of each of the group members and take advantage of them to achieve the best result. Be responsible, with their colleagues, for the final product of the group's work.
The university must encourage the use of collaborative learning techniques, which are very varied: they range from a simple discussion in small groups interspersed with brief presentations by the professor, to those more complex, such as controversy, debate, deliberation, simulation and argumentation, all oriented to the development of decision-making.
In this way, the role of the teacher - facilitator, when using collaborative learning techniques appropriately, encourages in students the development of skills, attitudes and values that organizations currently require, given the demands of their globalized and dynamic environment. it demands updated and diverse knowledge.
Some important aspects of the article related to this study are highlighted below:
- In a rapidly changing world, there is a perceived need for a new vision and a new model of higher education, which should be student-centered, which requires, in most countries, in-depth reforms and a policy of education. expansion of access, to accommodate increasingly diverse categories of people, as well as a renewal of the contents, methods, practices and means of transmitting knowledge, which must be based on new types of links and collaboration with the community and with the broadest sectors of society. Higher education institutions must train students to become well-informed and deeply motivated citizens, provided with a critical sense and capable of analyzing society's problems, seeking solutions for those that arise in society,apply these and assume social responsibilities. It is necessary to reformulate the study plans and use new and adequate methods that allow us to overcome the mere cognitive domain of the disciplines; Access to new pedagogical and didactic approaches should be facilitated and promoted to promote the acquisition of practical knowledge, skills and aptitudes for communication, creative and critical analysis. It is important that the curricula allow the inclusion of teamwork in multicultural contexts, in which creativity requires combining traditional or local theoretical and practical knowledge with cutting-edge science and technology. Curricula should take into consideration gender-related issues, as well as the cultural, historical and economic context, specific to each country.The teaching of human rights standards and education of the needs of communities around the world should be reflected in the curricula of all disciplines, especially those preparing for business activities. Academic staff should play an active and decisive role in defining the curricula. The new pedagogical methods will also entail new teaching materials. These should be associated with new examination methods, which test not only memory but also the powers of understanding, aptitude for practical work and creativity. (UNESCO 2006).
Finally, today's world demands an awareness with commitment and involvement. Correspondingly, we must take into account that teamwork and individual ability to work on it. These are factors that are becoming decisive for the success of organizations in their work. They increasingly focus less on the academic part of people's lives and more on their abilities and personality.
In this sense Senge affirms «Collectively we can be more acute and intelligent than we are individually. The team's IQ is potentially higher than that of individuals ”(Senge 1992).
Organizations need knowledge not to be individual but collective, so we have to learn and also make our knowledge available to others.
This indicates the permanent registration and use of advances in knowledge, systematic and continuous improvement of management processes and perennial attention to the needs of learning to learn, learning to unlearn, learning-acting at an intensity and own pace as required for adaptation to the environment.
The above indicates that it is necessary to review the mental models, beliefs, values, in reality only, so attitudes, skills and behaviors can be changed, to achieve not only the expected economic results in the organizations, but also the organizational effectiveness, before the new role of the professional.
A learning process in universities with a traditional approach is not enough, so it is necessary to select programs and tools that are really useful to the objectives of organizations today, in a way that leads us to a process of permanent improvement towards the motivating challenge to grow and develop as professionals and people in correspondence with the world in which we live.
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