Innovative Curriculum Strategies for Industrial Engineering Education in Paraguay

Abstract

The advancement of Industry 4.0 has generated new technological, digital, and interdisciplinary demands for the education of industrial engineers, posing significant challenges for higher education in Paraguay. In this context, the persistence of traditional pedagogical approaches, the limited systematic integration of digital technologies, the weak university–industry linkage, and curricular fragmentation hinder the development of professional competencies aligned with contemporary productive demands. The objective of this study was to analyze relevant pedagogical strategies for the training of industrial engineers in Paraguay, aligned with the requirements of Industry 4.0, incorporating international comparative evidence in order to generate proposals transferable to other educational contexts undergoing transformation. A qualitative interpretative approach was employed, using multiple instruments for data collection in universities in Paraguay and Cuba, enabling the triangulation of information on educational practices and curricular dynamics. The results reveal a predominance of lecture-based methodologies focused on conceptual transmission, low implementation of active methodologies, fragmented incorporation of digital tools, limited systematic linkage with the productive sector, and weak interdisciplinary integration—factors that constrain the development of digital, analytical, and professional competencies. In conclusion, a training model is proposed that emphasizes the progressive integration of digital competencies, applied learning through industry-based projects, curricular internationalization, flexible learning pathways, and authentic assessment.