2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Analysis of gaps in the training of engineers in relation to international standards: The case of industrial engineering students in Chile.

Presented at International Division (INTL) Technical Session #1: Global Competency

Globalization has redefined engineering education. New engineers must use their knowledge to improve quality of life and well-being of those communities impacted by their work, so their training must meet international standards to ensure success. The Washington Accord sets the criteria for competent and future-ready engineering graduates, emphasizing lifelong learning, problem-solving, research, engineering practices, and digital skills. However, studies reveal disparities between current engineering education and the evolving needs of the field.
This study aims to identify perceptions held by industrial engineering students, graduates, and faculty members at a private university in Chile on the existing gaps in their training, compared to the competencies outlined in the Washington Accord. Aiming to reduce these through a transformation in the teaching practice of industrial engineering in an Engineering School that has the largest engineering enrollment nationwide.
The objective being to transform teaching practices and reduce these gaps through curriculum redesign, pedagogical approaches, and evaluation methods. A questionnaire-based study with quantitative analysis was conducted, and analyzed with descriptive statistics and SPSS software.
Results highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the university's engineering training and provide a plan for incorporating the necessary skills to meet the standards set by the Washington Accord.

Authors

Mr. Ruben Vega-Valenzuela Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile [biography]

Master in Industrial Engineering from the Andrés Bello University, Public Administrator from the University of Chile. He has three diplomas in the areas of operations management, project management and managerial management. Likewise, he has certifications in ontological coaching and comprehensive facilitation of learning processes. He currently works as academic secretary and tenured professor at Universidad Andrés Bello, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses related to innovation and entrepreneurship at the Faculty of Engineering. His areas of interest in the research are the deployment and impact of competencies, personal resources and soft or vital skills for the achievement of individual and collective results, through self-leadership, collaboration and team leadership.
Prof. Maria Elena Truyol http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1153-4967 Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile [biography]

María Elena Truyol, Ph.D., is full professor and researcher of the Universidad Andrés Bello (UNAB). She graduated as physics teacher (for middle and high school), physics (M.Sc.) and Ph.D. in Physics at Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina. In 2013 she obtained a three-year postdoctoral position at the Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil. Her focus is set on educational research, physics education, problem-solving, design of instructional material, teacher training and gender studies. She teaches undergraduate courses related to environmental management, energy and fundamentals of industrial processes at the School of Engineering, UNAB. She currently is coordinating the Educational and Academic Innovation Unit at the School of Engineering (UNAB) that is engaged with the continuing teacher training in active learning methodologies at the three campuses of the School of Engineering (Santiago, Viña del Mar and Concepción, Chile). She authored several manuscripts in the science education area, joined several research projects, participated in international conferences with oral presentations and key note lectures and serves as referee for journals, funding institutions and associations.
Dr. Gonzalo Aguila Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile [biography]

Gonzalo Aguila is a Chemical Civil Engineer with a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering with more than 15 years of experience in Research and Innovation in Chemical Engineering, Catalysis, Processes, Energy, and Environment, complemented by ten years of experience in University Teaching. In his work as a Professor, he created and directed the Chemistry area within the Engineering career at the universities where I have worked, assuming leadership of the entire Chemical Engineering area, supervising the hiring of new Professors, and forming excellent teams of workers. In the development of his study and professional work, he has led high-level, quality research, reflected in more than 25 WoS-indexed scientific publications, along with more than 15 presentations at national and international conferences.

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