PROJECT-BASED LEARNING (PBL): ASSESSMENT OF GENERIC SKILLS

This paper reports the findings from an Educational Innovation and Improvement Project at the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia. This project was implemented in the second semester of the 2014/15 academic year. During the project, students proposed solutions to a real problem faced by a real firm. Students developed their solutions using the project-based learning (PBL) method, a useful tool for building a range of generic skills. The aim of the project was to assess students' achievement in four generic skills: Ability to think practically and apply knowledge in practical situations, Ability to analyse and resolve problems, Teamwork and leadership ability and Awareness of current business issues. The assessment differed for each skill. For some skills, the lecturer assessed a written report by a group of students. Other skills were assessed using student self-evaluation. Both forms of assessment used 5-point Likert scales. The study covered several academic disciplines. The same assessment procedure was applied to students from four university degree courses: bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Management, bachelor's degree in Tourism, master's degree in Agricultural Engineering and master's degree in Construction. This multidisciplinary approach allowed us to observe differences based on student profile. Overall, students achieved acceptable scores in all four skills. Students achieved the highest score in Ability to analyse and resolve problems. Students' level of achievement differed by course. Differences between bachelor's and master's degree students were especially pronounced.