Competencies assessment in Geography undergraduate dissertations: rubric proposal for the University of Valencia case study
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Abstract
Becoming part of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) signified a change in education’s orientation, moving from a content-centred scenario to the another in which the acquisition of skills and the valorisation of the learning process are key. This article aims at examining how this new competence scenario is addressed in the Undergraduate Dissertation, particularly, available tools for evaluating general competencies and the process of preparing. As main contribution, it provides an evaluation rubric in order to solve key needs. Using document analysis techniques, competencies and evaluation systems in the Degree in Geography and Environmental Studies (GyMA) of the University of Valencia (UV) are examined, as well as other 23 Spanish experiences in Geography. The main findings highlight, in the Valencian case, the lack of evaluation tools addressing all kind of competences and, mainly, the lack of attention to those linkedt o process of preparing. Data from other Spanish experiences show that only six universities include evaluation tools focusing on the process of preparing, which are used as examples. Thus, we suggest a rubric, which is discussed and agreed by the department. It improves the evaluation of generic competences linked to the Undergraduate Dissertation preparing process. Finally, the rubric’s contribution and main limitations are discussed, as well as other changes of greater significance needed in the evaluation of competencies in accordance with the EHEA.