Design and validation of a competency-based evaluation model at the university

This thesis is framed in the area of Didactics and School Organization and aims to design and validate a competency assessment model in college. The issue is emergent and has educational interest. Historically coincides with the beginning of the implementation of the Bologna Process in the Spanish context, according to the guidelines of the European Higher Education Area. The research process is articulated in three phases under the interpretive-symbolic paradigm. The first phase consists in a study of four cases conducted between 2005and 2007 that develops a 4 case study in Catalan syllabuses, then part of a trial plan The second phase develops a case study in 12 degrees of the Spanish context, which began by implementing the Bologna Process in the academic years of 2008-2009 and 2009-2010. As prominent results of this phase we can identify and characterize stages in the integration of training and competency assessment in Spanish degrees; conceptualizations of competences; and strategies for the development and implementation of this training method. In the third phase a model for the development of competency-based assessment is designed. Numerous national and international experts were consulted and participated throughout the entire research process. The thesis is divided into three main sections preceded by Chapter 1 which contains the General Research Approach. The first section corresponds to the Theoretical Framework and consists of four chapters: Chapter 2 Concept and nature of competences; Chapter 3 Training and competency assessment: a conceptual change; Chapter 4 Learning and student development at the university, and Chapter 5 Design and development of competency assessment model. The purpose of this section is to present a conceptual basis so as to define the object of study based on an extensive literature review. The second section refers to the Applied Framework. It consists of four chapters: Chapter 6 Design of the field study; Chapter 7 Development of the field study; Chapter 8 Competency assessment Model at the university (MECU): construction and validation; and Chapter 9 Quality control of the research process, each of these sections describes the different phases of field research to achieve the design and validation of the model, the ultimate objective of this thesis. The third section is for the Results & Conclusions. Consists of four chapters: Chapter 10 Results of the exploratory study in the Catalan context; Chapter 11 Results of 12 Cases Study in the Spanish context; Chapter 12 Results of model validation; finally, Chapter 13, contains the discussions and proposals. As a main result, it is designed and validated the Competency Assessment Model at the University (CAMU, in English). Conceptually, it is on the second level of the typology proposed by Berdrow and Evers (2009) and represents a reference point for integrating competency-based assessment in the university curriculum. Operationally, the model offers the essentials to integrate competency-based assessment of qualifications, in areas or modules and provides a formative tool for institutional self-assessment. Finally it suggests longitudinal analysis and tracking of cases and extends the study to other contexts.