Abstract:

Along the process of shaping the EHEA (European Higher Education Area), the conversion of the content-based model towards a competence-based one has raised challenges to universities. One of them was how to plan, schedule, implement and evaluate a university degree based on the development and accreditation of professional skills.

In this paper we explain the way our University is giving response to that.

The response involves the fact of rethinking the assessment activities proposed to students. It is necessary to provide an effective and coordinated skills-based training and assessment.

In the teaching model of the URV, planning, programming and assessment is carried out at three specification levels.

In the first level we have the official document of the degree, designed according to EHEA and Spanish law RD1393/2007. We define a proposal of competences profile and the curricula.

At a second level the teaching team of the degree distributes the competences throw the curricula generating in this way the Roadmap Skills of the Degree. In this level as well we have the study program of the subject defined by lecturers. Those components are settled on DOCnet .

In the third level the teaching team of the subject define the Work Plan. This is the definition in detail of assessment activities distributed throw the course. The Work Plan is settled on Moodle .

The key actions carried out were to give training and advice to the teaching staff and to monitor their process in defining the subject Work Plans. Moreover, the technological tool had to be developed and adapted.

Currently, we are in the second implementation year evaluation phase of the “Work Plan” project. The information collected allows us to improve it at various levels:
1. Optimization of the technological tool.
2. Training of the teaching staff.
3. Support and advice.
4. Alignment into other projects developed by the URV: eportfolio, placement, skills assessment.

We are currently developing a feature that will allow to see clearly what degree assessment activities can provide evidence of the development and achievement of each competence. The aim is not only to know what activities have been planned by each teaching team and when they have to be completed by the students, but also and more important, what activities, how many and in which courses are actually used to evaluate each competence of the degree.

At the teaching coordination level, it provides information at a degree level which will enable the programme directors to know the situation regarding the development of the Competences Roadmap and their level of specificity in assessment activities.

From the student point of view, the picture of the activities to be carried out organized by skills. Their performance and the result are "opportunities" to generate evidence that may be part of their portfolio.

At an administration level, this tool could lead to a system able to generate a more competences oriented record of marks. This system could generate a list of learning outcomes succeeded by student. In this way we have the Student's Personal Roadmap Skills connected with the Diploma Supplement which is compulsory in Spain since law RD 1044/2003.

Keywords:

European Higher Education Area, assessment, skills, Learning technological tools.