Practicum Virtual Community to develop competencies in the building of team-made software

Abstract

This research paper aims to analyze the incidence of the Practicum Virtual Communities in the development of competencies when building software in the Systems Engineering programs in southwestern Colombia, specifically with students from Mariana University through the use of a Practicum Virtual Community (PVC). This work was developed under the quantitative paradigm, with a descriptive and propositive empirical-analytical approach. The targeted population was students from seventh and eighth semester. As a result, the level of performance of the students is identified in the cognitive (know) and aptitudinal (know-how) dimensions before being part of the PVC. Then, a PVC was designed and implemented, using problem-based learning and following this structure: identity, practice and roles to be fulfilled by the community members, to foster the development of competencies in the building of team-made software. As a conclusion, the impact of the PVC was vastly positive within the community members both in the cognitive and aptitude level.  In the end, these members proved their abilities when building software and were the most suitable to compete for a job position.