Adapting Economics for the Construction Engineering Degree to Ehea

Abstract

The current project of constructing the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and in particular, the introduction of the new European Credits Transfer System (ECTS) is proving to be a great stimulus for reviewing the teaching and assessment methods currently in use. Convergence towards this common space has introduced a new teaching philosophy with a closer student-teacher relationship and an attempt to promote not only knowledge but also skills and competences. The Bologna Declaration essentially proposes the production of educational programmes based on students' efforts and learning so that they develop the competences that underpin employability. In this way, the development of competence-based syllabuses can stimulate teaching staff to use more active methods such as project-based learning. Furthermore, strict control of students' work in and especially outside the classroom (in accordance with the assignation of ECTS credits) stimulates teachers to develop assessment mechanisms for monitoring student activities in accordance with the established work plan. The Universidad Politecnica de Valencia introduced the Construction Engineering degree in the 20092010 academic year. The immediate precedent for the Construction Engineering qualification are the Architectural Technology courses. The aim of this work is to show the process of restructuring and adapting the core subject "Economics" in the course taught at the advanced school of Construction Engineering to the reference framework for Construction Engineering competences. The paper shows how the course has evolved over the last three years and the current assessment process. In parallel with this approach a comparative analysis has been carried out on the new methodology with the methods and results of the recent years of teaching "Applied Economics" on the Architectural Technology course. Differences regarding the number of credits taught, situation on the syllabus, teaching methodology and results of student assessments are analysed. The main innovation in relation to the approach to the previous syllabus consists of programming the subject to focus on student learning based on detailed specification of the activities they have to carry out in and outside the classroom to achieve the subject's teaching objectives. Another of the innovations introduced are the different forms of evaluation. Thus the different strategies and techniques used to create a broad ranging assessment system in the context of the process of adapting the subject to EHEA requirements are analysed.