1 Alternative Assessment in Eduation Prof. dr. Martin Valcke Workshop Innovative teaching and Learning Strategies in Higher Education Maputo 4-6 August, 2009

Background Head Department of Educational Studies Innovation of Higher Education International collaboration (Cambodia, China, Ecuador, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, Zimbabwe) Coordinator of PISA/PIAAC research in Flanders

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Advance organizer

Traditional approaches 5

Advance organizer 6

Critical issues Validity of evaluation approach in view of assessment of skills and complex knowledge Fant et al., (1985) Rating scales, daily logs, anecdotal records, behavior coding, and self-assessment for evaluating student teachers. Oral examinations, portfolio assessment, central assessment centres, 360° assessment –… 7

Recent developments Individual learner Group learner External institution Teachers Expert eacher Assessment system Institutional level

Recent developments Stronger focus on “consequential validity”of measurement (Gielen, Dochy & Dierick, 2003) Stronger emphasis on feedback value of assessment What is the “learning potential” of the assessment approach 9

Recent developments Stiggins (1987): performance assessment Performance assessment is expected to be geared in a better way to assess complex behavior in medical, legal, engineering, … and educational contexts (Sluijsmans, et.al., 2004). 10

Concrete examples Self- and peer assessment Rubrics based assessment 11

Self- and peer-assessment 12

Self- and peer assessment Learn about your own learning process. Schmitz (1994): “assessment-as-learning”. ~ self corrective feedback 13

See experiential learning cycle of Kolb. Boekaerts (1991) self evaluation as a competency. Development of metacognitive knowledge and skills (see Brown, Bull & Pendlebury, 1998, p.181). Freeman & Lewis (1998, p.56-59): developing pro-active learners 14

15 The Learning Cycle Model

Is it possible? 17 Group evaluations tend to fluctuate around the mean

Learning to evaluate Develop checklists Give criteria Ask to look for quality indicators. Analysis of examples good and less good practices: develop a quality “nose” 18

Learning to evaluate Freeman & Lewis (1998, p.127) : Learner develops list of criteria. Pairs of learners compare listed criteria. Pairs develop a criterion checklist. Individual application of checklist. Use of checklist to evalute work of other learner. Individual reworks his/her work. Final result checkeed by teacher and result compared to learner evaluation. Pairs recheck their work on the base of teacher feedback. 19

Learning to evaluate Peer evaluation is not the same as Peer grading Final score is given by teacher Part of score could build on accuracy of self/peer evaluation and self- correction 20

Rubrics 21

Rubrics Rubrics focus on the relationship between competencies, criteria, and indicators and are organized along mastery levels (Morgan, 1999). 22

Rubrics: indicator-based assessment Assessment objective –Criteria Indicators in terms of observable behavior Limited number of indicators 23

Writing a fiction story Complex skill Criteria? Rubrics: example

Criteria? –.. Rubrics: example

Criteria Indicator Levels in indicators 3

27 Ability to apply scientific skill Indicators PISA-levels in indicators 3

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Critical thinking rubric 29

Informative websites Overview tools, examples, theory, background, research: Critical thinking rubrics: Rubric generators: Intro about rubric sites: Rubric APA research paper: Examples K12: General intro : 30

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Critical issues Adoption of this assessment approach is marred by teacher beliefs about nature of evaluation (see e.g., Chong, Wong, & Lang, 2004); Also student beliefs (Joram & Gabriele, 1998) Validity of the criteria and indicators (Linn, 1990), Reliability of performance evaluation, e.g., when multiple evaluators assess and score performance (Flowers & Hancock, 2003). 33

Statements about evaluation Learners should be trained to develop themselves such rubrics. Staff should collaborate in developing formal assessment and summative assessment rubrics Rubrics will help staff to be more concrete as to their teaching and learning focus 34

35 Alternative Assessment in Eduation Prof. dr. Martin Valcke Workshop Innovative teaching and Learning Strategies in Higher Education Maputo 4-6 August, 2009