INTRODUCTION OF CHANGES FROM A COMPETENCIES ANALYSIS IN AN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING GROUP

The objective of this paper is to explore the association between evaluation through competences and marks of our students. Our data on competences comes from the self-evaluation of a group of university students using an ICT-based tool, called Cycloid. In our educational context, the process towards the European Higher Education Area, students’ competences are becoming a priority for universities.

The application of Cycloid was conducted during different periods (2013-2015) at the University of Girona. Students were in their first year of their studies of Industrial Engineering Graduate. The objective of competence evaluation is to consider themselves as project managers of their learning degree. This analysis can give them a testing of the six groups of competences provided by the tool (self knowledge, self-control, cognitive capability, motivating oneself, empathy, and social skills) in present and future states as well as the gap between them in relation to the previously described performance measures.

The competences analysis give us the opportunity to change our teaching process. During the last courses, we introduce lots of changes in our methodologies through the competences results. Incorporating lots of different ways to learn, like utilities to help students in their work, videos, computer app, more information data base, gamification of some blocks… Introducing a different way to explain all the processes and giving them more enthusiasm to pass each part of the subject. A continuous evaluation gave them a level situation immediately. Giving them work for home but not a lot of quantity more quality, every week they can control their progressive learning. At the end of the course, students evaluated the experience and gave feedback to professors in order to improve quality.

As a conclusion of this study, results are excellent comparing to the results of the last three years, students get better marks, feel more self-confidence and comfortable. Also professor are more comfortable and see that students do a better follow-up of the subject.