KRUGER, Jose Adelino, FURSTENBERGER, Oscar Herberto & VARGAS, Carlos Luciano S.
Av. Carlos Cavalcanti, 4748, CEP 84030-000, Ponta Grossa, Parana, Brazil + State University of Ponta Grossa, jakruger@convoy.com.br
Abstract: Competitivity and globalization epoch requires adjusted professionals, as a survival condition. Commercial blocks of countries appear as an unquestionable reality. In South America, Mercosul has arisen. This new background brings new market requirements. Workers must fit a proper profile. The Universities must adapt their curricular structure in order to satisfy those requirements, making possible to the students to play this role. The Civil Engineering Course in Ponta Grossa University, Parana State, Brazil, lives this reality, looking for a curricular structure adaptation in order to be syntonized with this new situation. The First Year students have, since 1997, a new matter called "Introduction to Civil Engineering", when they are presented to the profession's reality, through technical visits to building sites and lectures by engineers. The Fifth Year students have, since 1994, a new matter called "Civil Engineering Project", when they choose one of the four main areas of the course (Structures, Highways, Construction and Hydraulic / Electric Installations) to develop a professional project. They are guided to make it a practical project, applied to real situations of their future careers. The Civil Engineering Course Coordination has sought for curricular changes, always having in mind to adapt the course to the reality of the profession and to the market requirements. The Coordination also listens to the students' opinions, caring for their fair claims. These actions are in agreement with the determination of the new LDB (Directions and Bases Law - Law n. 9394/1996, from Brazil's Government), which talks - concerning to University Education - about a reflective thought and about the knowledge of world problems, specially the national and regional problems.
Keywords: competitivity, globalization, education, engineering
The world is passing through new times. Commercial blocks of countries appear as an unquestionable reality. New technologies dominate this changing scenario. Competitivity and globalization epoch requires adjusted professionals, as a survival condition. According to Tsutiya et al. [1998], the education of future engineers must stress the domination of the scientific method, in order to permit the engineers to follow the science and technology progress. Rotta & Ribeiro [1998] also stress the importance of engineering on following the technological and social changes, through an evaluation of present and future enterprises and research centers needs, anticipating the new tendencies of the world market. All over the world, countries are forming into commercial groups. In South America, Mercosul has arisen. This new background brings new market requirements. Workers must fit a proper profile. Gallo et al. [1998] say that this new context has brought modifications in work environments. That a new kind of engineer is wanted. And that his ideal profile must include more flexibility, faster answers capacity, the ability to work in groups and to work in several tasks. Reis et al. [1998] indicates that these new times claim for agents that have new competencies, like understanding and interpretation of the data, sensible intelligence of the work situations, management attitudes to mobilize, integrate, transfer and share the data in a global perspective of actuation. The emergency of these new competencies of the environmental work let us think about some educational questions, that are related with the engineer graduation as capable professionals to supply the modern organizational claims. Pereira Filho [1998] mentions that it is a wrong affirmation to say that Engineering studentes are impermeable to historical, social, economical and epistemological subjects. Tsutiya et al. [1998] and Pegollo & Shiga [1998a, 1998b], talk about the necessity of the engineer to look at world events with a global vision. And that this kind of engineer is built during the education time. For this reason, the Universities must adapt their curricular structure in order to satisfy those requirements, making possible to the students to play this role. Chrobak [1998] says that Latin American universities constitute the obligated means to help society to overcome this situation, by mean of increasing both student creativity and the innovation criteria. In order to achieve that goal, universities must look for research excellence, guided mainly by society's demands. These goals can only be achieved if engineering teachers take the commitment to participate in the ongoing process of change, in order to encourage the necessary changes in the students' formation.
The Civil Engineering Course in Ponta Grossa University, Parana State, Brazil, lives this reality, looking for a curricular structure adaptation in order to be syntonized with this new situation. The First Year students have, since 1997, a new matter called "Introduction to Civil Engineering", when they are presented to the profession's reality, through technical visits to building sites and lectures by engineers. First Year students in 1998 answered to a questionnaire, presenting their points of view about the matter, about its importance, about its necessity and about their own interest. They reported the change on the idea they had about the career of an engineer. Finally they expressed their opinion about what is good on the matter and what could be better. It was a free questionnaire, and the students could talk the way they wished, without alternatives to choose. 41 students were listened.
First, they were asked about their point of view related to the matter. 37% of the students said that the best content of the matter is to show a clear vision of what is Civil Engineering and what an engineer does. Another answers were registered too, as for example: their doubts were clarified, it helped them to decide in what branch of Civil Engineering they would like to work. One of them said that with these information, less students will quit and less professionals will be disappointed with their choices. Another one said that had talked about the matter with an ancient student, who had complained because this matter was not offered at that time.
When they were asked about the satisfaction of their expectations, 86% answered "yes", 8% answered "partially", 3% answered " a little" and 3% did not aswered.
When they were asked about what was the best content of the matter, 71% said that were the visits to building sites and 46% said that were the lectures presented by engineers, considering that it was an open question and they could indicate both options. Some of them said that they liked the scientific methodology that was presented, and some of them said that the best thing was to leave the routine of class room. When they were asked about what could be better, 25% of them said that there are too much theoretical classes, and there could be more technical visits to building sites.
The Fifth Year students have, since 1990, a new matter called "Civil Engineering Project", when they choose one of the four main areas of the course (Structures, Highways, Construction and Hydraulic/Electric Installations) to develop a professional project. They are guided to make it a practical project, applied to real situations of their future careers.
Fifth Year students in 1998 answered to a questionnaire, too, presenting their points of view about the matter, about its importance, about its necessity and about their own interest. They also reported their opinion about the career, and if the skills they have acquired during the course are enough to face the daily journeys of the sites. Finally they expressed their opinion about what is good on the matter and what could be better. 29 students were listened.
First, they were asked about their point of view related to the matter. Several answers were obtained. They said, for example: "It is the most important matter of the Fifth Year", "It's a good preparation to professional life", "It was good to find doubts and difficulties, facing responsibilities that will be frequent on professional life", "The contents of the isolated matters during all the course could be finally agglutinated and complemented", "It has increased my critical sense", "Now we have safety to work".
When they were asked if the project was practical, 97% said "yes" and 3% said "a little". When they were asked if the project was applicable to real situations, 66% said "yes" and 3% said "a little". When they were asked about the importance of the matter to their professional formation, 52% said "yes" and 3% said "reasonably". Several students did not answer to the last two questions.
When they were asked about what was the best content of the matter, several answers were registered, as for example: "We have faced practical aspects of a real professional project", "The familiarity on building sites was important", "In several moments we had to solve problems by ourselves", "We had liberty to propose and to develop our own project". When they were asked about what could be better, they said "We could have more teachers to orientate us", "The matter could have a fixed timetable", "We could have more time to develop and to deliver the project".
When they were asked about the qualification they had acquired during the course, 31% said that it was adequate, 17% said they would need more postgraduation studies to face the requirements of the professional life, 13% said that it was too much theoretical, 7% said that it was reasonable, 7% said that it would be necessary to improve their capabilities during the proper time of working, and 8% said that the qualification was not enough. Several of them believe in their own capabilities to face the professional life. Another one said that he knows several engineers who have studied here, at this same university, and did not have any problem on their professional activities.
Finally they were asked about the course they were finishing. The most common answers were: "It prepares to the basic subjects, but it is weak on the practical ones", "It could require more efforts", "We are as good as graduating students from another universities".
It's consensus on current discussions about the XXI century's engineers formation that this professional must incorporate or reinforce some personal characteristics, as for example, being intransigent with the quality of his performance, searching for his continuing qualification, for his versatility on several matters, pedagogic autonomy, scientific spirit and humanitarian vision. In order to attend to these requirements, the Civil Engineering course at Ponta Grossa University, Parana State, has included on its curriculum, on 1990, the matter Engineering Project, on the fifth year of the course. The student chooses a subject, finds the involved problems, makes a bibliographic search and/or correlated experiences, organizes the obtained data and produces a clear text, accompanied by graphical representations, to inform the results of his studies. Acting this way, the student is, in a doubtless way, becoming independent on his researches and, depending on the searched subject, making a close relationship with another Engineering akin matters. In order to prepare the student to this experience, the matter Introduction to Civil Engineering was included on the curriculum, in 1997,on the first year of the course. The Civil Engineering Course Coordination has sought for curricular changes, always having in mind to adapt the course to the reality of the profession and to the market requirements. The Coordination also listens to the student's' opinions, caring for their fair claims. These actions are in agreement with the determination of the new LDB (Directions and Bases Law - Law n. 9394/1996, from Brazil's Government), which talks - concerning to University Education - about a reflective thought and about the knowledge of world problems, specially the national and regional problems.
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