In Finland, the Ministry of Education requires all vocational qualifications to include practical skills demonstrations, demonstrating students' attainment of the aims of vocational training and the learning outcomes of the qualification in question. The objectives of the system with skills demonstrations is to ensure the quality of VET, to increase the correspondence of VET with working life requirements, to involve representatives of working life in assessment of students´ knowledge and skills (competence) and to improve the uniformity of student assessment. The new system came into force in 2006. In addition to promoting student assessment, the Ministry also anticipates that the results of skills demonstrations improve national evaluation and quality assurance systems in general by gathering the national evaluation data straight from local tests flexibly administered by vocational institutions.

In my presentation I will use fresh outcomes from my research (2010) and from pilot experiments of the new evaluation system with skills demonstrations. The findings are that skills demonstrations increase the validity, significance and authenticity of student assessment, offer flexibility at the local level and increase co-operation with working life. Despite many good and useful outcomes, also challenges remain. The providers, teachers and assessors interpret the targets and criteria differently. There is a wide variation in how tests are administered, who assess the students´ competence and in which curriculum targets are the focus.Skills demonstrations cannot be the only basis for national comparison. There is a need for quality assurance also because of the trust, transparency and justness of students´ assessment.

This raises questions about using data for many different purposes: feedback to learners about their learning and competence, the developers and managers for improving their institution and instruction, the decision-makers for developing a qualification system that transcends the boundaries of education and working life, and, last but not least, for accountability purposes. (Räkköläinen & Ecclestone 2005; Räkköläinen 2005.)

It is important to clarify what is the purpose of the evaluation and who is the audience for the results of evaluation. The aim is democratic and trust based evaluation and QA - not national inspection - and humanistic, holistic approach to student assessment and the use of evaluation results. An approach using the principles of “intelligent accountability” emphasizes trust between different parties in the evaluation process and the importance of engaged reflection, feedback, and assessment. (Crooks 2002; O´Neil 2002)

I will also discuss the definition of the criteria for assessing knowing and competence from the viewpoint of skills demonstrations. The aim is to outline a context-based model of assessment and evaluation, and appraise its functionality in the light of experiments in the field of VET in Finland. Students find the assessment of learning outcomes by skills demonstrations fair, reliable and motivating, also students with special needs. It is crucial to recognize the processes and structures that on the other hand create further trust and reciprocal relations in education evaluation and on the other hand motivates and promotes learning of students in VET. (Poikela 2004; Poikela & Räkköläinen 2006.)

References Crooks, T.J. 2002. Educational assessment in New Zealand Schools. Profiles of Educational Assessment Systems World-Wide. Assessment in Eduction. 9, 2: 237–253. O´Neil O. 2002. A Question of trust. The BBC Reith Lectures 2002. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Poikela, E. 2004. Developing Criteria for Knowing and Learning at Work: Towards Context-Based Assessment. The Journal of Workplace Learning. 16, 5: 267–274. Poikela, E. & Räkköläinen, M. 2006. ”Intelligent accountability – kontekstiparustaisen arvioinnin lähtökohtia. (intelligent accountability’ – a viewpoint of context-based assessment) Ammattikasvatuksen Aikakauskirja 2/2006, 6 – 18. Poikela, E. 2004. Developing Criteria for Knowing and Learning at Work: Towards Context-Based Assessment. The Journal of Workplace Learning. 16, 5: 267–274. Räkköläinen, M. & Ecclestone, K. 2005. The implications of using skills tests as basis for a national evaluation system in Finland. Outcomes from a pilot evaluation in 2002–2003 in Finland. Arviointi 1/2005. Helsinki Opetushallitus. Räkköläinen, M. 2005a. Kansallisen näyttöperusteisen oppimistulosten arviointi-järjestelmän kehittäminen ammatillisiin perustutkintoihin. Arviointikokeilusta kohti käytäntöä. Arviointi 3/2005. Helsinki: Opetushallitus. Stobart, G. 2008. Testing Times. The uses and abuses of assessment. Lontoo: Routledge.