Futurapp: Orientación vocacional para estudiantes de la media académica de la institución educativa Enrique Olaya Herrera de Puerto López, Meta a través del diseño e implementación de una solución tecnológica

Abstract

The objective of this innovation project is to facilitate access to vocational guidance through a technological solution to tenth and eleventh grade students of the Enrique Olaya Herrera Educational Institution in Puerto Lopez, Meta. The aim is to determine whether a technological tool designed and applied can have a positive influence on the academic and professional decision-making process of high school students, facilitating a process of self-knowledge and exploration of vocational options. It is considered fundamental that the vocational guidance service, through digital platforms, supports the future aspirations of students, since at this stage they begin to define their interests. For the development of the project, structured surveys were used, whose data were analyzed using content analysis and open and axil coding techniques, which made it possible to identify patterns, categories and meaningful connections among vocational guidance, use of educational technology and gamification. The results obtained showed that the students present a medium level of self–knowledge and strong indecision when choosing a career, mainly due to the lack of institutional vocational guidance. However, a positive attitude was observed towards the use of technological tools to support this process, which underpinned the design of FUTURAPP as a digital pedagogical strategy. After the implementation of the prototype and the application of the surveys, it was evident that more than 85% of the participants expressed greater motivation, clarity in their interests, and confidence in planning their academic future. Likewise, students expressed high levels of satisfaction and appreciation for the usefulness of the tool, confirming that it strengthened vocational guidance using educational technology, contributing to comprehensive development and informed decision-making. Finally, it is hoped that this initiative will contribute to a reduction in university dropout rates, a phenomenon that is often related to uninformed vocational decisions and a mismatch between expectations and the reality of the labor market.