Abstract:

One of the main objectives of our multidisciplinary teaching team is promoting the critical reflection among all the participant members, both experienced and beginning, to improve the teaching practice and the evaluation systems, and to guarantee high quality learning outcomes. The correct assessment of the student performance in competence-based training programmes must integrate the development and acquisition of knowledge, skills, and attitudes. In this sense, the scoring rubric is an excellent and standardized methodology for the assessment of the level of competency acquisition.

The proper use of a scoring rubric requires:
1) Defining the competence to evaluate;
2) extracting the dimensions of the competence;
3) defining the contents as a function of the competences and the dimensions; and
4) establishing and presenting to the students the detailed evaluation criteria.

These aspects have been addressed in different activities organised by our multidisciplinary teaching team. For instance, the members of the team have designed and used a scoring rubric for the competence acquisition evaluation of the Master Thesis work of the students taking the Master Degree “Advances in Food Quality and Technology”. This scoring rubric has 5 items that evaluate the acquisition of the following competences: bibliography search and management; use of a foreign language; writing, analysis, and summary of the information; etc. This is a pioneering experience in our University, since the scoring rubric had been only implemented at the undergraduate level.

Moreover, other members of our team participate in the evaluation commissions for the undergraduate degree theses of the Human Nutrition and Dietetics Degree during the academic year 2013/2014. This scoring rubric features 25 items, which allow marking from 1 to 3 the following competences: Skills for access and management of the information, organisation and planning skills, ability and appropriateness in the use of a foreign language, writing and speaking skills, motivation for the quality, and skills related to the use of ICTs. All activities organised by the multidisciplinary teaching team allow both the experienced and beginning teachers to implement new strategies and working techniques in accordance with the paradigm change stated in the European Higher Education Area.

Keywords:

Experienced and beginner professors, Competences, Evaluation innovation, European Higher Education Area, Multidisciplinary teaching team.