Abstract:

The concept of gifted individuals is often misread among the general population. Furthermore, their characteristics are often confused or misunderstood, overlooking the educational needs this group of students have.

Currently in Spain attention is focused on children. Efforts are being made to eliminate false beliefs and properly train professionals involved in identification and education. Mainly psychologists, teachers and counselours. In this process, family associations are the driving force behind change.

In this context, university, seen as an experience of maturity, was expected to be a place where these individuals flourish. Their intrinsic motivation and desire to set and overcome challenges should lead them to achieve high academic performance, no matter how.

Up to this moment, teachers were not required to undertake any actions different from the master class. However, there is no reason to believe that the risk of disengagement and the resulting underperformance has disappeared.

There are at least four areas where work can be done to create a comprehensive model for talent development in higher education:
1. Self-awareness of their giftedness, identifying their strengths and weaknesses.
2. Make the most of classroom time creating enriching environments that benefit all students.
3. Mentoring systems that facilitate research experiences
4. Honours programs that expose students to real business environments, considered as real-world problem-solving learning.

The first point must be led by psychologists and counsellors. Successful experiences are already reported in points 3 and 4. Number 2 is the room for Technical School Teachers. Enrichment is understood as educational experiences that go beyond the standard curriculum, allowing students to explore topics in greater depth, complexity, and creativity.

The paper proposal is based on UDL (Universal Design for Learning). By offering flexible pathways and differentiated challenges, UDL will allow gifted students to engage more deeply with academic content.

Electrical Technology Practical Sessions is the scenario chosen for testing. Learning objectives are defined and resources selected considering horizontal enrichment. This conception of multiple means for presenting the content, the procedure and the products, is present all along the activity design.

After the experience during one academic year, impact on both academic results and student acceptance was assessed. The conclusions may be utilized as a framework for future actions.

Keywords:

Talent development, Gifted students, Universal design of learning.