198
S. Albareda-Tiana et al.
3 Methods for Developing a Competency Map
on Sustainability Degrees
As a starting point for integrating sustainability into the curriculum of the SUS,
according to the CRUE (2012), four competencies in sustainability were identified
that should work in all university degrees (generic or cross-curricular competencies).
The formulation of these competencies was expanded in the plenary session of
the commission of the CRUE on Sustainability in Valencia on 9 March 2012, and
was presented at the CRUE’s General Assembly at the University of Girona on 28
June 2012. It was subsequently sent to all Spanish universities. The following crosscurricular competencies for sustainability are proposed for inclusion in university
education (CRUE 2012):
– SUST 1. Competency in the critical contextualisation of knowledge through the
linking of social, economic and environmental issues at a local and/or global level.
– SUST 2. Competency in the sustainable use of resources and in the prevention of
negative impacts on natural and social environments.
– SUST 3. Competency to participate in community processes that promote sustainability.
– SUST 4. Competency to apply ethical principles related to sustainability values in
personal and professional behaviour.
Sustainability competencies defined by the CRUE (2012), the rubric of generic
competencies assessment, used for the evaluation of Service-Learning in the Faculty
of Education of the UIC since 2009 (Fuertes 2014), and the work of the STEP group
of the Computer Science Faculty at UPC were taken as a starting point for designing
the competency map on sustainability. This group has been working on the design of
a competency map on sustainability for computer engineering studies (Sánchez et al.
2016) since 2008. The convergence of the three projects mentioned above, which
were partly produced by members of the EDINSOST project, has been the starting
point for a competency map on sustainability. For this purpose, a structure based
on 4 competencies related to sustainability was defined: SUST 1–SUST 4. Each
competency is divided into three sustainability dimensions and, for each dimension,
units of competency and levels, were defined using the levels of competency of the
simplified Miller pyramid (Miller 1990).
Miller (1990) established a hierarchy of competencies in the medical profession
(that can also be applied to other professions), which are depicted in Fig. 1.
From the selection of competencies and the hierarchy of results established by
Miller (1990), the study focuses on analysing what the learning outcomes allow us
to evaluate. It established three levels of acquisition defined by learning outcomes
(indicators), based on the standards set by the National Centre for Education Statistics (NCES) (2002). The first level domain corresponds to knowledge and refers to
“learning”, the second level domain corresponds to integration and development in
the situation and finally, the third level domain is linked to demonstrating competency
in the action and the possibility of transferring this action.
S. Albareda-Tiana et al.
3 Methods for Developing a Competency Map
on Sustainability Degrees
As a starting point for integrating sustainability into the curriculum of the SUS,
according to the CRUE (2012), four competencies in sustainability were identified
that should work in all university degrees (generic or cross-curricular competencies).
The formulation of these competencies was expanded in the plenary session of
the commission of the CRUE on Sustainability in Valencia on 9 March 2012, and
was presented at the CRUE’s General Assembly at the University of Girona on 28
June 2012. It was subsequently sent to all Spanish universities. The following crosscurricular competencies for sustainability are proposed for inclusion in university
education (CRUE 2012):
– SUST 1. Competency in the critical contextualisation of knowledge through the
linking of social, economic and environmental issues at a local and/or global level.
– SUST 2. Competency in the sustainable use of resources and in the prevention of
negative impacts on natural and social environments.
– SUST 3. Competency to participate in community processes that promote sustainability.
– SUST 4. Competency to apply ethical principles related to sustainability values in
personal and professional behaviour.
Sustainability competencies defined by the CRUE (2012), the rubric of generic
competencies assessment, used for the evaluation of Service-Learning in the Faculty
of Education of the UIC since 2009 (Fuertes 2014), and the work of the STEP group
of the Computer Science Faculty at UPC were taken as a starting point for designing
the competency map on sustainability. This group has been working on the design of
a competency map on sustainability for computer engineering studies (Sánchez et al.
2016) since 2008. The convergence of the three projects mentioned above, which
were partly produced by members of the EDINSOST project, has been the starting
point for a competency map on sustainability. For this purpose, a structure based
on 4 competencies related to sustainability was defined: SUST 1–SUST 4. Each
competency is divided into three sustainability dimensions and, for each dimension,
units of competency and levels, were defined using the levels of competency of the
simplified Miller pyramid (Miller 1990).
Miller (1990) established a hierarchy of competencies in the medical profession
(that can also be applied to other professions), which are depicted in Fig. 1.
From the selection of competencies and the hierarchy of results established by
Miller (1990), the study focuses on analysing what the learning outcomes allow us
to evaluate. It established three levels of acquisition defined by learning outcomes
(indicators), based on the standards set by the National Centre for Education Statistics (NCES) (2002). The first level domain corresponds to knowledge and refers to
“learning”, the second level domain corresponds to integration and development in
the situation and finally, the third level domain is linked to demonstrating competency
in the action and the possibility of transferring this action.