Avaliação dos impactos das tecnologias emergentes na educação: um estudo de caso na Faculdade de Tecnologia da Universidade Federal do Amazonas

Abstract

Industry 4.0 has brought about a new industrial trend, involving significant technological advancements in various areas. Amidst this new revolution, professionals will need to continuously improve themselves by seeking knowledge. The process of digitization and automation in the industry has caused significant changes in society, including education. In this context, the need for an educational curriculum aligned with these new advancements became evident. The current requirements of the professional area have led to the argument that teaching, schooling, and educational training should integrate with the recent technological innovations that define Industry 4.0, emphasizing the importance of upgrading the skills of future professionals. Therefore, the development of skills related to creativity, innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, and problem-solving should be at the core of teaching methods, as a response to the current situation and projections that indicate the need to review and adjust current institutional and pedagogical models. By the way, this research examines the pedagogical methodologies of the courses offered by the Faculty of Technology at the Federal University of Amazonas and subsequently relates it to the concepts of Education 4.0. For this purpose, a descriptive case analysis was conducted, based on qualitative and quantitative information obtained through Google Forms questionnaires. The investigation covered two distinct groups: teachers and students from the technological courses. The study took place between May and July 2023, and the collected data reflect the perspectives of these groups on topics relevant to teaching and learning methods. The teachers expressed the opinion that the profile of students currently entering technological education requires changes in teaching strategies and highlighted the need for a rupture from the conventional model, where innovative practices present themselves as an option with greater potential to cultivate the professional skills required for a career. The analysis led to the conclusion that some actions of Education 4.0 have already been implemented in the evaluated courses, such as the use of information and communication technologies and the incorporation of some active methodologies. However, there is still a need for further adjustments. Finally, innovating in education may not be a simple task, but it is both urgent and essential to break up paradigms in favor of constant transformations in all fields of knowledge, especially in vocational training courses.