Active methodologies mediated by technologies for the development of professional skills in a special modality professional programme

Abstract

The article presents an action-research programme implemented in the 2019/2020 academic year to carry out the external internships of the students of a Special Modality Professional Training Programme in Auxiliary Operations of Administrative and General Services. Due to the pandemic in 2020, students could not carry out their internships in person in companies to complete their training in the programme. Given the importance that this internship has for the development of their skills and their incorporation into the working world, we proposed its completion in a virtual and synchronous way, using virtual and educational platforms like Genially and the Google Suite tools. In this virtual environment, we recreated a work setting in which they had to connect daily at the established time and perform the functions of an administrative assistant working in the different departments of the company. While the programme was ongoing, we reviewed and adapted the environment based on the results we were obtaining. The objective of this work was to show the effectiveness of active methodologies in the training of students in a special modality professional programme that, together with a Research-Action approach, facilitates the development of the students' work skills while enriching the process and experience of the internship for the teachers involved.

Keywords: Active methodologies, Practicum, administration students, action-research, professional skills, inclusive education;