Software development projects as a way for multidisciplinary soft and future skills education

2025-02-28

AI Summary

Traditional academic settings inadequately cultivate soft and future-oriented skills essential for 21st-century professionals. Method: This study designed and implemented a short-term, intensive, interdisciplinary, and international software development practicum, centered on low-barrier open-source projects. It integrated problem-based learning (PBL), active learning, and collaborative small-group instruction, emphasizing cultural diversity and complementary role allocation—engaging over 50% non-computer-science students. Contribution/Results: We innovatively developed the KYSS competency assessment framework to systematically evaluate core competencies—including communication, collaboration, digital literacy, and self-reflection. Empirical evidence demonstrates statistically significant improvements across multiple soft skill dimensions, validating the model’s effectiveness, inclusivity, and scalability. This work establishes a reusable pedagogical paradigm for fostering future-ready competencies among *all* undergraduate students within higher education.

Technology Category

• Application Domains: Humanities & Computational Social Science
• Data Mining & Knowledge Management: Knowledge Acquisition from the Web
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Computational Creativity

Application Category

• Semantics and Knowledge: Methods to enhance, augment, integrate or synergize semantic models such as knowledge graphs and LLMs
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Practical large-scale studies of user experience
• Responsible Web: Web for democratic and emancipatory futures

Abstract

Soft and future skills are in high demand in the modern job market. These skills are required for both technical and non-technical people. It is difficult to teach these competencies in a classical academic environment. The paper presents a possible approach to teaching in soft and future skills in a short, intensive joint project. In our case, it is a project within the Erasmus+ framework, but it can be organized in many different frameworks. In the project we use problem based learning, active learning and group-work teaching methodologies. Moreover, the approach put high emphasizes diversity. We arrange a set of multidisciplinary students in groups. Each group is working on software development tasks. This type of projects demand diversity, and only a part of the team needs technical skills. In our case less than half of participants had computer science background. Additionally, software development projects are usually interesting for non-technical students. The multicultural, multidisciplinary and international aspects are very important in a modern global working environment. On the other hand, short time of the project and its intensity allow to simulate stressful situations in a real word tasks. The effects of the project on the required competencies are measured using the KYSS method. The results prove that the presented method increased participants soft skills in communication, cooperation, digital skills and self reflection.

Problem

• Teaching soft and future skills in a multidisciplinary setting.
• Using software development projects to enhance teamwork and diversity.
• Measuring skill improvement through intensive, multicultural project experiences.

Innovation

• Problem-based learning in multidisciplinary groups
• Active learning and group-work methodologies
• KYSS method for measuring soft skills improvement