Assessing transferable competencies in a real-world course setting with practice partners

Abstract

Project-based education (PBE) has been increasingly adopted in various educational institutions to better prepare students for the complexities of the ‘real world’. In this article, we present the course ‘Applied Forest and Landscape Management Lab’, highlighting its unique approach to project-based learning in collaboration with practice partners. In this course, students work in groups on a project such as developing a sustainable forest management plan in exchange with the cantonal authorities, local foresters and external experts. This experience enhances their understanding of theoretical concepts and prepares them for the challenges they may face in their future working environment.

In the course discussed in this article, student learning is assessed primarily through detailed written reports that are graded using rubrics that we revised to operationalise the ETH Competence Framework. Not all fostered competencies are well reflected in a written report,and we discuss other assessment forms such as oral presentations or peer feedback. While the project process is vital for learning, we concluded that for this course setting, grading only the final report aligns with real-world practices: students produce a comprehensive summary for the cantonal authority, similar to environmental consultants. This approach allows students to focus on creating a well-structured report and fosters an open environment for discussing group dynamics, cooperation, teamwork, and problem-solving with the supervising team, free from the stress of being graded on these aspects.