Pedagogical Experiences in the Professional Practice of Occupational Safety and Health

The COVID-19 health emergency transformed academic and workplace dynamics, creating new challenges for practical training in Occupational Safety and Health programs. In this context, the professional practicum component of the Occupational Safety and Health Technology program at the Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia (UNAD) implemented pedagogical strategies to adapt learning environments to virtual and blended modalities, thereby ensuring training continuity and quality amid significant social and economic uncertainty.

The experience enabled the reconfiguration of interaction dynamics among students, faculty, and practice settings, fostering autonomous, meaningful, and collaborative learning through digital tools and flexible methodologies. It also strengthened competencies in change management, risk analysis, biosafety protocol implementation, and the promotion of safe and healthy work environments in both remote and in-person work contexts.

The pedagogical strategy fostered the development of critical, analytical, and adaptive skills, enabling students to recognize real-world challenges in the productive sector, identify opportunities for improvement, and actively participate in processes of innovation and organizational transformation. Similarly, the experience strengthened the partnership between academia and the business sector, helping students advance their professional careers through apprenticeship contracts and job placement opportunities.

The implementation of digital technology-mediated internship modalities highlighted the importance of pedagogical innovation and curricular flexibility in responding to emerging contexts, strengthening occupational safety and health training through active learning approaches and comprehensive support.