The competence approach is a structured process encompassing the definition, the development and the assessment of competences acquired during training courses. A competency is based on the combination and mobilization of several theoretical knowledge, enabling students to act effectively in different contexts.
Observation and assessment of competencies are essential for developing a savoir-agir, i.e. the ability to act effectively. The level of competence is assessed according to the use of available resources and the effectiveness of this mobilization in concrete situations.
Centrale Lyon is committed to rigorously evaluating the acquisition of skills by its students. In addition to traditional assessment, which uses a grading scale out of 20, the school places particular emphasis on assessing cross-disciplinary skills. The latter are graded by a letter rather than a number, enabling the two modes of assessment to be clearly dissociated.
Skills observed
The cursus Ingénieur Généraliste from Centrale Lyon includes five essential skills, developed in collaboration with experts from the business world. This repository is common to all the schools in the Centrale Schools Group.
To assess each of these skills, we have identified observable components. These are specific actions expected of the student in concrete situations. Each competency in the referential is accompanied by three of these observable components.
- Emerge and innovate
- Operate and undertake
- Realize and create value
- Representing and modeling complex systems
- Solving problems and discussing the validity of models
- Thinking and acting in unpredictable and uncertain environments
- Designing a project or program
- Piloting and managing actions
- Closing and capitalizing on experience
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- Getting to know and build yourself
- Generating performance, both individual and collective
- Leading transformations within an organization
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- Anticipating and committing
- Giving meaning
- Building and sustaining
Skills assessment and development paths
Once skills and their components have been identified, they are assessed to clarify what is expected in each situation.
Centrale Lyon has established a development pathway in 5 levels, from "novice" to "expert". A student can reach the third level, called "competent", at the end of her course. The fifth level, "expert", was designed with the help of business professionals. This level represents the skills that the engineer will be able to master around 5 to 7 years after graduation, provided she continues to work on these skills during this period.
At each level, students' skills are assessed. They receive three letter grades:
- A for "outstanding"
- C for "acquired"
- F for "to work on"
A unique, dedicated platform
Centrale Lyon has developed a unique application for tracking and assessing students' skills acquisition.
This platform, accessible online, offers a real-time view of the cross-disciplinary skills mobilized and observed in each training action. It also enables students to track their progress and obtain an individualized certificate.
