EVALUATION OF TRANSVERSAL COMPETENCES: PILOT PROJECT IN A MATH COURSE FOR FIRST-YEAR BUSINESS DEGREE STUDENTS

The aim of this paper is to describe the results of a pilot project for the assessment of the transversal competence "learning ability and responsibility". This competence is focusing on the capacity for analysis, synthesis, overview and practical application of knowledge. The goal of the project is to evaluate this competence, proposed by University of Barcelona through multidisciplinary teaching teams.

We have worked with a group of math students from a first-year Business Degree, during the first semester of the academic course 2012-13. We have followed two steps: a) design of a specific task to share with the same students at the next semester of economic history subject and b) development of a scoring rubric in which we have defined the contents, the evaluated aspects, the evaluation criteria and the rating scale.

The expectations of quality of the specific task have been provided by means the scoring rubric. At the same time, it has provided a basis for the accurate and fair professor assessment and the self-evaluation of the students.

We conclude with the main findings of the experience, among which the high assessment that students get from the competence studied, in contrast to the assessment made by the professors. This means that we have to work to identify the best methodologies for evaluating competence and to improve teaching practice.