Emphasizing the improvement of transversal competencies as an important result of the study process and presenting in an informative seminar a tool for assessing the dynamics of students' transversal competencies during the study period, the 1st round of the research project “Assessment of Competences of Higher Education Students and Their Development Dynamics

"Currently, the trend of global education is the integration of transversal skills into the education system. We are also working on it, creating a learning process based on a competence approach as one of the cornerstones of education reform at all levels of education. The field of higher education has gone the furthest in this process, as it not only develops cross-cutting skills, but already evaluates them in the study “Assessment of Competences of Higher Education Students and Dynamics of Their Development in the Study Period”. I definitely invite you to share the results of this research both on a Latvian scale and internationally,” evaluating the work of the researchers, the Minister of Education and Science Anita Muižniece invited at the final seminar of the 1st round of the project.

While the UNESCO Latvian National Commission Secretary General Baiba Mo??ika , addressing the participants of the seminar, said: "UNESCO emphasizes that the transversal competences are as a navigation tool that education helps to find a way for us to be able to find your way in the world, rich in global challenges such as pandemics, climate threats, social inequalities and migration. "

Professor ?irts Dimdi?š , Faculty of Pedagogy, Psychology and Art, University of Latvia , introducing the tool for assessing the dynamics of students' competencies during the study period, pointed out that it can be used to analyze the structure of competencies, compare competencies between study years and study levels, compare competencies programs, directions, areas, comparison of competence assessment in groups of students according to various criteria, as well as analysis of relations between competence assessment and study results.

Zanda Rubene , Professor of the Faculty of Pedagogy, Psychology and Art, University of Latvia, the project leader , outlined policy recommendations for the assessment of transversal competences of higher education students: “It is necessary to strengthen the understanding that students 'and graduates' professional autonomy is Also, the improvement of students' transversal competencies should be considered as an important result of the study process and not an additional study component. Cooperation and partnerships between universities and employers in various forms to promote the professional autonomy of students must be strengthened. "

During the event, the premiere of the video film “Why should a student learn cross-cutting skills?” Made by director Nikl?vs Rubens . The video is available for anyone interested here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLkK0Xirjcg&t=1s .

The developed methodology will ensure long-term measurement of certain aspects of the quality of higher education in order to identify changes in student performance, initiate new policy measures and provide methodological support to lecturers at the institutional level in formulating study results. At the same time, the obtained data will be included in monitoring changes in the quality of education and evaluating the performance of higher education institutions, including evaluation of investments in higher education modernization and efficiency of higher education quality improvement measures, human capital development and achievement of Latvia's RIS3 goals.

The research was carried out by the Scientific Institute of Pedagogy of the Faculty of Pedagogy, Psychology and Art of the University of Latvia within the framework of a cooperation agreement with the Ministry of Education and Science, but involved 27 leading researchers, researchers, experts and research assistants from eight universities , Rezekne Academy of Technology, Riga Technical University, Riga Stradins University, Daugavpils University, J?zeps V?tols Latvian Academy of Music, University of Groningen in the Netherlands and educational company "Lielv?rde". The scientific leader of the project is Professor Zanda Rubene.

The research “Evaluation of Competences of Higher Education Students and Dynamics of Their Development in the Study Period” was implemented with the support of the European Social Fund in the project No. 8.3.6.2/17/I/001 “Development and implementation of education quality monitoring system”.

Reference Link: https://www.ozolzile.lu.lv/par-mums/zinas/zina/t/67516/