VIRTUAL: Learning. Life. Work.
Abstract
In 2022, the end of quarantine gave way to a hybrid teaching model. Despite increased face-to-face contact, the conflicts of virtual education became more evident about specific professional competencies. These include isolation, lack of social interaction, problem management and difficulty in maintaining discipline, motivation and autonomy. Therefore, this study aims to reinforce the learning of the theoretical subject of Design Management from the field study of manufacturing companies, strengthen professional competencies and include external actors as a teaching strategy. The study was conducted on 17 fourth-level Product Design students and 7 company cases during a year using quantitative and qualitative methods. Instruments such as interviews and surveys were conducted with students and employers, and the specific professional skills and academic skills acquired by the students at the end of the course were analyzed and compared using statistical methods. The results showed that students had significantly improved in specific professional competencies related to verbal communication, mediation and conciliation, and empathy with the business culture. There was also an essential initial development in teamwork and time management. In addition, there was a significant increase in academic competencies related to synthesis and critical reasoning demonstrated during class reflection sessions. In conclusion, the study demonstrates the importance of reinforcing learning in a theoretical subject with active case-based methods. For the subject of Design Management, a pedagogical model is proposed, including the direct participation of companies in the teaching process and the active role of external actors in reinforcing the students’ core skills for the benefit of professional and business networks.
Amparo Alvarez – Industrial Design Engineer from the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador and a master’s in advanced design from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. I specialize in Strategic Design, Management, Product Design and Development. My professional background is oriented towards academia and consultancy for MSMEs in Chile and Ecuador. I got awards at the Iberoamerican Biennial of Madrid, published book chapters, and authored books, indexed articles, and papers. I gave national and international training in areas of research on strategic design, design management in companies, business m