Rubrics as a tool to coordinate assessment and progress in different design workshops of the degree in Industrial Design Engineering and Product Development

Abstract

The changes provided by the EEES constitute a challenge and an opportunity to introduce methods and improvements in technical careers. The assessment of this scenario has an important and strategic role, which requires paying more attention to the competency evaluation. This paper describes the method and the collaborative task carried out to develop the rubrics for the three-year Workshop Project in the framework of the undergraduate Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Design Engineering and Product Development. The purpose of this was to overcome challenges while assessing design projects in different workshops and by different professors. The team predicted that these rubrics would have a significant effect on the students’ outcomes and their performance on various tasks. The implementation of the rubrics on the different levels is expected to sustain interesting possibilities to compare not only the results in different courses but the actual progress. The stages of the process of making these rubrics are presented in relation to the specific, general and shared competences of each of the 3 workshops. The rubrics, that will be published online, are related to the assessment of the results obtained and the competences. Rubrics may not only boost academic performance and reduce failure, but improve the quality of the projects as well.