Title: Cooperative oral presentations in higher education to enhance technical and soft skills in engineering students

Authors: Ana María Rodríguez Pasandín; Ignacio Pérez Pérez; Pablo Orosa Iglesias; Juan José Galán Díaz

Addresses: Department of Civil Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, Universidade da Coruña (UDC), Campus de Elviña s/n. 15071, La Coruña, Spain ' Department of Civil Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, Universidade da Coruña (UDC), Campus de Elviña s/n. 15071, La Coruña, Spain ' Department of Civil Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, Universidade da Coruña (UDC), Campus de Elviña s/n. 15071, La Coruña, Spain ' Department of Naval and Industrial Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, Universidade da Coruña (UDC), Campus de Elviña s/n. 15071, La Coruña, Spain

Abstract: Technical expertise and the development of soft skills are both necessary for higher education to be of good quality. However, it has been demonstrated that an overwhelming workload lowers student motivation and fosters a cursory approach to learning. This study sought to increase students' technical understanding of smart roads as well as their soft skills, notably their oral communication abilities, without placing an undue burden on them. The study was done for the civil engineering degree's 'roads' compulsory subject. The paper offers a case study wherein collaborative groups used oral presentations to apply, assess, enhance, and share their technical knowledge as well as to develop their soft skills. Students' perspectives were examined using a survey. The findings showed that most students increased their understanding of smart roads and their communication abilities. However, this method also helped the pupils improve other soft skills, including collaboration and emotional control.

Keywords: active learning; civil engineering; cooperative learning; soft skills; technical skills.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCEELL.2023.134377

International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning, 2023 Vol.33 No.6, pp.592 - 607

Received: 22 Sep 2022
Accepted: 15 Jun 2023
Published online: 19 Oct 2023 *

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