Research in Engineering Education Symposium 2011 - rees2009

Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) Página 696 de 957
Grade
Basic Content required
for accreditation
Distinction Basic technical abilities
Optional additional
professional abilities
achieved and
demonstrated
Higher technical and
professional abilities
Proceedings of Research in Engineering Education Symposium 2011
Madrid, 4 th - 7 th October 2011
Optional additional
teamwork abilities
achieved and
demostrated
Ability to lead in
multidisciplinary team +
flexibility to move
between leader and
follower
Credit Basic technical abilities Higher technical abilities
Ability to use multiple
communication + ability
to abstain+
patience/persistence +
ability to follow + ability
to generate alternatives
Pass Basic technical abilities
Table1: Notional TCA framework suggesting teamwork abilities as optional additional criteria for
transition to higher grades
Learning protocols
Achieving the understanding component of the salient abilities can be considered as lower
order learning tasks which can be achieved through didactic teaching in lectures, tutordirected
learning in group seminars, or selfdirected learning from library or on-line
resources. Achieving the application component, however, must be considered higherorder
learning tasks, and the student must be able to apply gained knowledge through
interaction in an actual group or team. The student must also receive evaluative feedback
(from other members of the group or team and from faculty) on his or her success in
applying the relevant knowledge and success in developing effective team member
abilities. Group learning methods such as those characteristic of Problem-Based Learning
and Project-Based Learning are ideal for this purpose, and allow the individuals’ groupworkabilities
to be developed and progressively evaluated simultaneously with technical
and other learning agenda.
Assessment protocols
In order to satisfy alignment principles, quality assurance requirements and student
satisfaction expectations, achievement of each of the learning outcome objectives must be
verified for each student. The assessment must also directly address learning achievement
against each learning outcome objective. Assessment can be separate for each of the lower
order and higher order learning components: the lower-order components
(understanding, rationale and theory) can be analogue (eg, marks) assessment of set
examination, essay or oral presentation, and the higher-order components (application)
can be by competency-based assessment of demonstrated performance.
Alternatively, these two methods of assessment can be undertaken simultaneously, with
the student presenting (demonstrating) performance in a real group environment, and
then presenting an oral self-evaluation of his or her performance, based on the theoretical
components of the abilities set out in the curriculum. Assessment by faculty is then of the
level between actual observed performance and what the student presented in the
evaluation. The group environment in which this assessment is conducted can be in a
group specially contrived for the purpose, or in a group undertaking other problem-