Pedagogical Innovation in debate in the presentation session of the Católica Learning Innovation Lab
The Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP) participated in a debate, last 8th November, about what is envisaged to be the University of the future. What transversal competences should be developed in students? What are the recommended pedagogical models to promote these competences? What distinguishes the teaching at UCP from other higher education institutions?
The questions were raised during the presentation session of the project Skills 4 Post-COVID - Competences for the future in Higher Education, recently approved by the Human Capital Operational Programme (PO CH), and promoted by the Católica Learning Innovation Lab (CLIL), the pedagogical innovation laboratory of the UCP, born from a Strategic Initiative of the Faculty of Education and Psycology (FEP), of the Porto Regional Centre, and which is reinforced in the common interest for Pedagogical Innovation of the various faculties of the Universidade Católica.
The session, which took place online, brought together lecturers, students and strategic partners of this project to discuss the transversal competencies to be developed by the students and the most appropriate pedagogical models for the promotion of these competencies.
In the first part of the meeting, which was attended by Isabel Vasconcelos, Vice-Rector of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, the objectives of CLIL, the team that makes up the laboratory and the various activities that are planned in the field of pedagogical innovation were presented. In a second moment of the session, lecturers, students and strategic partners of the community (elements of civil society and business), were divided into four groups to discuss the theme "Innovating for the Competences of the Future at Universidade Catolica.
What competences should students have and teachers help train?
The community partners who agreed to participate in the meeting were asked, among several aspects, to point out the key competencies they most seek when attracting professionals.
"One aspect that surprised us was the fact that several partners mentioned the importance of working on more humanistic skills in students. The emphasis on tolerance, emotional management skills, diversity and inclusion was clear", says Diana Soares, lecturer and researcher at FEP and coordinator of CLIL, together with Paulo Dias, lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences of the Braga Regional Centre.
In the view of the students who participated in the session (some of them representing Student Associations from UCP faculties), the need to develop complex problem solving skills and an informed analysis of labour market needs are critical aspects in the learning process. Overall, students consider it important to implement pedagogical practices in a real context, making use of the University's network of external partners.
When asked about the pedagogical models they would recommend for the promotion of the transversal competences considered critical, lecturers indicated the implementation of teaching strategies that foster critical thinking and of pedagogical methods related to service-learning. Some teachers even mentioned the importance of CLIL as a relevant space to support the teaching community of the Universidade Católica in the area of pedagogical innovation.
Creation of an interactive e-book with innovative teaching practices to promote the skills of the future
Using the discussion between the various speakers at the presentation session as a starting point, the CLIL team will create an interactive e-book with pedagogical practices that aim to assist teachers in promoting the skills of the future. The e-book will be later made available to the whole academic community of UCP and will remain online in an interactive platform that is being developed within the project.
In this presentation session of the CLIL project, in addition to the teachers and students who are partners of the project, were present, as representatives of the network of strategic partners of UCP, elements of Google, Amazon, Deloitte, Porto City Hall, Bar Association, DST, Delgado & Associados, Colégio Paulo VI, Human Power Hub, Cetelem, Cáritas Diocesana do Porto and the Executive Committee of AMP.
Project financed by PO CH
The project "Skills 4 Post-COVID - Skills for the future in Higher Education" is funded by Portugal 2020, under the PO CH - Human Capital Operational Programme, with an eligible amount of support of 357 781.57€ from the European Union, through the ESF - European Social Fund.