Abstract:

This communication presents the final outcomes and experiences of three successive Educational Innovation Projects (EIP’s) performed during the years 2009 to 2012. Within those projects, a new method for assessment and evaluation of Final Year Projects (FYP) for Telecommunication Engineering students has been designed, based on the competencies and skills proclaimed by the Bologna process. Further on, the proposal was tested with two groups of about 10 students each, who agreed to perform their FYP in the environment of the EIP and were evaluated according to both methods: the conventional and the proposed one. After the evaluation of the first group, the assessment process was improved according to the experiences obtained, such that the second group prepared their works under slightly different conditions. In this work, all results will be presented and contrasted, also in comparison with traditional evaluations. The evaluation and assessment itself has a high focus on transversal skills and is based on rubrics, evaluated by a three-person evaluation board including the supervisor. Results show, that a grading based on competences leads to a more objective evaluation than in the traditional cases, but also to slightly lower grades. Nevertheless, the global organization of assessment and follow-up of the students had a good acceptation and lead to faster and more efficient project performances than in former years.

Keywords:

Final year project, engineering students, telecommunication, competencies, soft skills, transversal skills, EHEA.