Final Report Pilot Project - Phase 1

Physics Subject Area GroupPART 1. The Academic’s Evaluation of the Specific Competences1. General introductionTo our knowledge this paper is the first attempt, aimed at identifying—at a EU level— the specific competences, which are appropriate forthe physics degree courses in a two cycle scheme (Ba and Ma cycles inthe current terminology of the Bologna Process). The present report dealswith competences rather than with skills 1 . Skill is the ability to carry out awell-defined task. Competence is a broader concept, at a higher level thanskill: it is the ability to do a wider task, where knowledge is needed (e.g.research competence, ability of fully organising a meeting,…). In thiscontext we remark that the Problem Solving skill, even though it is listedby the questionnaires for the Tuning consultations among the genericskills, it is for Physics a very important and specific competence. Problemsolving is here intrinsically linked to the ability of making reference to thefundamentals of the physics experiments and theories and to the abilityof using mathematics in a way related to the real world.The questionnaire listing the possible specific competences wasinitially prepared by a restricted group of contact persons in the Tuning1Do notice, however, that in the actual questionnaire form, which was used in thepresent consultation, the distinction among the two words was not perceived clearlyand therefore they are often equivalent. The involved concepts have been clarified laterin the Tuning Glossary (see the Closing Conference Brochure).171