METHODOLOGY TO EVALUATE TRANSVERSAL COMPETENCES IN THE FORESTRY ENGINEERING DEGREE BASED ON A SYSTEM OF RUBRICS AND INDICATORS: RESULTS OF TWO YEARS OF EXPERIENCES

To evaluate training performance and get feedback to teachers related to training activity, a working group of lecturers of University Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) involved in a competency-based evaluation for the learning of Forestry Engineering and Natural Environment Degree in the Higher Technical School of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering (ETSIAM, Albacete, Spain) was set up. We developed planning tools for teachers to monitor, evaluate and improve the acquisition of transversal or generic competencies implementing rubrics. The rubric assessment proposal was developed by creating several subgroups of teachers; each subgroup was conformed of professors involved in teaching of different subjects belonging to different courses of the Forestry Degree. Each subgroup conformed an independent cell, which developed a rubric to evaluate and assess a concrete competence. The numerical scale proposed for the rubrics was isomorphic, i.e. rising from zero (null value) to the highest value according to a better performance of assignment accomplished, and showing the pass mark related to the standard. We tried to select the most relevant criterion (key criteria) to improve the evaluation of the students related to the proposed real professional scenario, which guaranteed the content validity of the rubric. In addition, to monitor the effectiveness of the implementation of the evaluation rubrics, four indicators (compliance, efficiency, effectiveness and evaluation) have been evaluated to obtain conclusions directly applied to improve our teaching method. These indicators claim to be the beginning of a valuation system implemented in a coordinated manner in the degree, with final design of a system of continuous control over time. For this, we developed a virtual space (SharePoint) located in the UCLM webpage to share information related to assessment of competences. The Professors uploaded the information obtained, including discussion of their assessment. In this way, the participants shared all evaluations, including the reports of each working subgroup. This website facilitates the data collection for calculating the indicators. The implementation of indicators form a system that will be carried out in two phases: i) selection and implementation of four indicators, and ii) assessment of suitability. With the information obtained, a proposal for revising and improving the evaluation and monitoring system was developed. During the first two years of implementation of this evaluation system (school years 2014-2015 and 2015-2016), students improved their formation in transversal competences in all years, showing a tendency of increasing values according students were in a higher year. In addition, in the second year (2015-2016), the average marks of the transversal competences evaluated were significantly improved. This demonstrated that even the first time they were facing a rubric, the results were better. Thus, both the selected rubrics and indicators can be used as a guide clarifying the expectations of the professor and how goals should be met.