Developing Professional Knowledge and Confidence in Higher Education

Introduction

The number of students attending higher education institutions has more than doubled in Europe during the last twenty-five years. The resulting flow of graduates on the labour market may justify the doubts expressed about these young people’s career prospects, given the present economic and social trends (Guégnard, 2008). One of the central issues in higher learning today is the certification of knowledge by universities. In addition to the core mission of knowledge production and transmission, the University must respond to changing education and training needs occasioned by the knowledge economy and society, among which are: increased scientific and technical education, and the need for cross-curricular competencies and lifelong learning opportunities (Rodríguez, 2005).

This paper aims to deepen the study of the concept and measurement of knowledge, especially in this type of knowledge that is acquired in order to get more training. This training usually takes place by definition in professional training schools.

Technical or professional knowledge is acquired through different means and is not an objective of this study to determine the sources through which knowledge can be transmitted to facilitate learning. The aim of this work is to test a system to assess the specific knowledge to be transmitted to achieve a minimum requirement, while at the same time introduce a system of quality assessment, based on the concept of confidence of knowledge. In this sense, test an evaluation system to determine the degree of utilization of a subject related to investment analysis in accordance with the two parameters mentioned, such the level of knowledge gained in a particular field and the level expressed confidence about the answers.

It is important to note that despite the efforts made so far, has not yet been possible to find a comprehensive and effective system that allows students to assess themselves at the beginning and end of a training process so that measurable manner can be shown the progress achieved in each of the aspects evaluated. This could be one of the possible outcomes of this project as well its contrasting by the faculty at the university level.