Teaching for understanding in higher education: the experience of a University in Costa Rica

Abstract

The Teaching for Understanding (EpC) model represents a teaching-learning approach based on competencies and performance, associated with constructivist theories, and developed in the nineties at Harvard University. Although currently there are multiple experiences in basic and secondary education, its application in higher education is relatively new, and much more like an institutional pedagogical model. The Latin American Science and Technology University (ULACIT for its acronym in Spanish), at San José, Costa Rica, has taken on the task to drive the construction of a proper educational approach, inspired by the EpC model, in particular for universities. This article presents a systematization of the first steps towards the incorporation of an EpC-based model, which over two years, start to produce results. It is expected that this report will contribute to educational innovation in universities.