The Academic Tutoring at the University Level: Development and Promotion Methodology Trough Project Work

Abstract

Tutoring is a methodological element of utmost importance in the EHEA (European Higher Education Area) context. Academic tutoring at university-level must offer counselling and technical support to university students in the three following areas: academic, professional and personal. This contributes to the students’ integral development through their university years. Nevertheless, its potential is very often overshadowed due to the general lack of awareness (here we must place responsibility on the teacher-student relationship) of its methodological function in the teaching proposal required by the EHEA, whose organizational model is focused on the acquisition of competencies. A Formative Assessment applied model in university subjects, in which the teacher becomes tutor of autonomous work groups and that proposes the use of well-organised academic tutoring sessions, is proposed on this contribution. The result, after introducing this model in the classroom, is very positive in several aspects, since it contributes to the development of instrumental, interpersonal and systematic competencies. Moreover, there is a very favourable improvement of the use of tutoring sessions as far as students are concerned, which will be of advantage to their teaching-learning process.