Improving and Assessing Self-Awareness of Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Students: a Case Study from Chile

The Covid-19 pandemic, the rise of artificial intelligence and major societal changes have meant disruptive changes in how to achieve education everywhere and at all educational levels. Increasing uncertainty and complexity motivate a reevaluation of the role of engineers in the future society and what skills will matter more in the work market and society. Such a context has inspired and/or forced a series of changes in active learning strategies. This paper describes a course-level learning hybrid methodology that has been implemented in a mechanical-engineering curriculum. The methodology combines concepts from three bodies of knowledge: cultural materialism, social cognitive learning, and transactional distance theory. A blend of activities is proposed to enhance the active learning of students. Through in-class collaborative problem solving, the provision of spaces for reflection and exploration of self-awareness, and a project work that culminates with an open seminar, the aim is to develop technical and the so-called XXI century skills, in particular, self-awareness skills. Such an approach would better prepare students for the ongoing uncertainties and future professional and interpersonal situations. The case study shows promising results that have been documented through self-perception and self-efficacy surveys from students and alumni. The proposed method helped students to achieve the learning outcomes of the course, increased their engagement, and allowed them to exercise their self-awareness as a complement to their development of technical skills.