Improving Soft Skills through an Interdisciplinary Approach in a Realistic Context between Education and CS Students in an HCI Course

Maximiliano Paredes-Velasco; Mónica Arnal-Palacián; Jaime Urquiza-Fuentes; Mercedes Martín-Lope. 2023. IEEE Transactions on Education, accepted

Abstract:Contribution: Prior studies on pedagogical methodologies to acquire soft skills have shown that developing collaborative tasks produces positive impact in students’ abilities. In this article, a pedagogical approach based on interdisciplinary practice and realistic problems is proposed to improve students’ teamwork skills. Background: Traditionally, soft skill acquisition has received scarce attention in high education curricula. Consequently, students finish their studies without having developed important competencies, such as communication, conflict resolution and teamwork skills. Intended Outcomes: Students who follow a realistic interdisciplinary approach improve both their soft and hard skills compared to students who follow a traditional collaborative pedagogical methodology. Through the approach proposed, students progress in completing tasks, participating in the team, collaborating in the organization, accepting agreements and taking into account the others’ points of view. Application Design: The experience involved students from two different disciplines, prospective computer science engineers and preservice teachers. They worked together to design an educational application that required prospective engineers to apply Human–Computer Interaction fundamentals. A quasi-experimental study was performed using either knowledge tests or self-assessment pre-post-tests, both subsequently analyzed using quantitative methods. Findings: 1) the prospective CS engineers who followed the interdisciplinary realistic practice approach achieved better learning outcomes than those who did not; 2) the educational context affects teamwork skill development; and 3) students improved their ability to work and participate in the team after the experience.

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