Abstract:

Changes experienced by the University since the Bologna Declaration came into scene have been noticeable. Specifically, adapting the learning-teaching process to focus on competence acquisition instead of on mere knowledge has been one of the most important innovations. Competences can be general or specific if they deal with the particular abilities the students must acquire in each Degree. But there are also transversal competences in university Degrees dealing with key skills to succeed in the social ecosystem. In this line, acquiring transversal competences is of capital relevance for the future professional career of our students.

In this paper, we show the development and assessment of an environmental-based transversal competence in the optative subject called Sustainable Development and Environmental Ethics. The specific assessment of this competence was achieved by means of including it into all the evaluation activities conducted throughout the semester and not just by one single specific assessment action. In this way, we also reinforced the continuous assessment of the subject and its transversal competence as we helped to improve the students’ environmental sensitization.