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This paper analyses the effect that the fulfilment of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) has got among engineers in the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector. The focus is on Spain, and the comparison of the technical and managerial knowledge and skills most demanded by the sector in 2008 and 2018, coinciding with the first decade of the EHEA. The study also examines whether the professional skills acquired by university students are consistent with those required in the job market. The following question is answered: Are ICT students adequately trained a decade after the introduction of the EHEA? An empirical study was carried out on the basis of a cross-section of Spanish ICT sector enterprises. The results reveal a gap between employer expectations and the skills acquired by students. Policy and practice performance is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows the planning, the teaching activities and the evaluation of the learning and teaching process implemented in the Chemical Process Design course at the University of Cantabria, Spain. Educational methods to address the knowledge, skills and attitudes that students who complete the course are expected to acquire are proposed and discussed. Undergraduate and graduate engineers' perceptions of the methodology used are evaluated by means of a questionnaire. Results of the teaching activities and the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed case study are discussed in relation to the course characteristics. The findings of the empirical evaluation shows that the excessive time students had to dedicate to the case study project and dealing with limited information are the most negative aspects obtained, whereas an increase in the students' self-confidence and the practical application of the methodology are the most positive aspects. Finally, improvements are discussed in order to extend the application of the methodology to other courses offered as part of the chemical engineering degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade, many changes have taken place in the field of university education. Professional practice demands that future graduates design and market products, preserve the interests of their clients, take responsibilities in public administration or participate in politics. Universities must educate professionals so that they become social leaders, consultants, advisers, entrepreneurs; in short, people with the capacity to solve problems. Professors recognise this situation; however, they do not always apply participatory teaching styles to develop these capacities in the students. This paper offers a tool to evaluate the implementation of a transformational teaching style in the classroom, developing joint work between professors and students. Its main contribution is that it assessed several teaching techniques based on this transformational style. This research was carried out in Portugal and Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Ethical learning is an educational proposal that aims to prepare students for their future working life by helping them to acquire skills that allow them to carry out their professions with autonomy and responsibility. In this paper, we reflect on the main characteristics of this educational proposal, on its connections with the European Higher Education Area, and on the experience gained at the Technical University of Valencia, which is based on that of a considerable number of teachers and researchers grouped under the Teaching Innovation Group for Ethical Learning in Scientific and Technical Studies (GREVOL). First, we describe the main characteristics of this research and action group and then give two examples of how we have introduced ethical learning into engineering lectures by means of two different approaches: one of these is a technical course, named “Industrial Sensors”, and the other is through two humanistic subjects, called “Introduction to Development Aid” and “Development Aid Projects”. Finally, we critically assess the advantages and disadvantages of these two approaches: humanistic courses versus engineering courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]