Developing Students’ Professional Competencies via Sustainable Assessment for Long-Term Learning

Author(s):

José Sánchez Santamaría(presenting / submitting)Roberto Martínez Mateo(presenting)

Conference:

ECER 2012

Network:

09. Assessment, Evaluation, Testing and Measurement

Format:

Paper

Session Information

09 SES 04 C, Assessment in Higher Education (III)

Parallel Paper Session

Time:

2012-09-19

09:00-10:30

Room:

FCT - Seminario 2

Chair:

Katja Scharenberg

Contribution

Educational assessment is one of the main assets in order to foster Higher Education student’s learning (Harris & Bell, 2003; Earl, 2003; Carless, Joughin & Mok, 2006). Nowadays, we have enough research evidences and strategies available to promote authentic learning through assessment (Wyatt-Smith & Cumming, 2009) within the complexity of competency-based training (Dall’Alba & Sandberg, 2006). This situation involves paying attention to the emerging alignments between the professional competency-based training and assessment models to give response to the lifelong learning requirements (Manzanares Moya y Sánchez Santamaría, 2012). Amongst the implications that can be drawn from this discourse, we find the methodologies characterised by (Bloxham & Boyd, 2007; Vu & Dall’Alba, 2007): generalization of new teaching and assessment methods; progressive adoption of active methodologies focused on cooperative learning that allows to tackle the creative and context- and problem-oriented ability to mobilise knowledge so as to solve problems autonomously; as well as, the ability to conjugate various kinds and times for competency-based assessment.

In this sense, competency-based assessment has to serve the ultimate purpose in the University learning process: “make students aware of what is their level of competencies, of how they carry out task and which strong points they must boost and which weak points they must correct in order to face future learning events” (Cano García, 2008, p.10). Therefore, in a Higher Education context guided by a lifelong competency-based approach, the key question is: How can the professional development of the student be encouraged through a sustainable competency-based assessment model? Although, in such a way that assessment activities do not only cater for immediate certification or feedback needs of students in their learning, but they also contribute, somehow, to improve their learning at present and in the future (Boud & Falchikov, 2007).

This paper presents the first findings of a teaching research project (2011/13), carried out within the framework of the University of Castilla-La Mancha, aimed at promoting processes of change to increase university student’s learning through a sustainable assessment (Boud, 2000). More specifically, a model of sustainable assessement designed as a result of the documental review is analysed and discussed. This model is composed of two approaches: superficial and deep, consisting of four assessment dimensions per competency: object (aims / competencies), times (final / ongoing), usages (summative / formative) and stakeholders (non-shared / shared). Besides, some of the findings of the expert validation and of model application are advanced herein.

Method

The research project we are elaborating is divided into three stages, arranged in “mixed methods” (Teddlei & Tashakkori, 2009) and various scientific-technical tasks, thoroughness, credibility and systematization criteria (Mertens, 2005), namely: a) STAGE I. Designing a dimensional model for assessing: superficial and deep. Analytic review and documentary analysis. Using 6 criteria: quality and up-to-dateness of the publication, cultural and scientific knowledge of the researchers, availability-accesibility of the information, authorised sources. Implementation of searching techniques in databases and seeking procedures in INTERNET. b) STAGE II. Validating the assessment model through a purposeful sampling, with a minimum of 15 international and national experts to evaluate the construct validity of the suitability-congruence degree in the assignment of the different indicators using a 1-3 grading scale. Indicators will be selected (I > 0,5) according to the Osterlind’s index (1989). c) STAGE III. Pilot experience. Application of the model to our teaching context. These actions consist of analyzing student’s guides, administering questionnaires and interviewing both teachers and students.

Expected Outcomes

From a micro-analytic viewpoint, the assessment of university learning can be modelled as a (shared) sistematic process of investigation and comprehension of the teaching-learning process whose ultimate aim is issuing a value judgement on the competency attainment of the student, directed at making decisions and at improving the development and planning of the training profile curriculum for Degree, Masters and Doctorate studies (Jornet Meliá, 2007). The model for sustainable assessment presented has two approaches: firstly, Superficial assessment based in uncoordinated artificial situations for competency-based training. A content-based assessment; it is final; non-shared and summative in nature. Secondly, Deep assessment is based on authentic and coordinated situations for competency-based training. Its main goal is assessing the competency improvement and not the competency attainment. It is a competency-focused assessment, shared and formative in nature. And, last but not least, regarding assessment it will be necessary to set up quality criteria enabling to draw valid evidences. Furthermore, it will also be essential to improve the methodology for competency assessment, in order to move forward in developing dimensions and criteria according to the parameters of quality, comprehensiveness, reliability and justice.

References

Bloxham, S., & Boyd, P. (2007). Developing effective assessment in Higher Education. A practical guide. New York: Open University Press - MCGraw Hill Education Boud, D. & Falchikov, N. (eds.) (2007). Rethinking Assessment in Higher Education: Learning for the Longer Term. London: Routledge. Boud, D. (2000). Sustainable assessment: rethinking assessment for the learning society. Studies in Continuing Education, 22(2), 151-167. Doi: 10.1080/713695728. Cano García M. E. (2008). La evaluación por competencias en la educación superior. Revista de Currículum y Formación del Profesorado, 12 (3), 1-16. Retrieved from: http://www.ugr.es/local/recfpro/rev123COL1.pdf Carless, D., Joughin, G. & Mok, M.M.C. (2006). Learning-oriented assessment: principles and practice. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 31(4), 395-398. Dall’Alba, G. & Sandberg, J. (2006). Unveiling professional development: A critical review of stage models. Review of Educational Research, 76(3), 383-412. Earl, L.M. (2003). Assessment as learning. Usigng classroom assessment to maximize student learning. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage publications. Harris, D. & Bell, C. (2003). Evaluating and assessing for learning Revised edition. London: RoutledgeFalma. Jornet Meliá, J. M. (2007). La evaluación de los aprendizajes universitarios. Paper presented at III Jornada de intercambio de grupos de formación del profesorado. Cádiz: Universidad de Cádiz. Manzanares Moya, A. & Sánchez Santamaría, J. (in press, 2012). La dimensión pedagógica de la evaluación por competencias. Revista Iberoamericana de Evaluación Educativa. Mertens, D.M. (2005). Research and evaluation in Educational and Psychology (2ª edición). Thousand-Oaks, CA: SAGE. Osterlind, S.J. (1989). Constructing tests items. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Teddlei, Ch. & Tashakkori, A. (2009). Foundations of mixed methods research. Thousand-Oaks, CA: SAGE. Vu, T. T. & Dall’Alba, G. (2007). Students’ experience of peer assessment in a professional course. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 32(5), 541-556. Wyatt-Smith, C. & Cumming, J. (eds.) (2009). Educational assessment in the 21st century. Connecting theory and practice. London: Springer.

Author Information

José Sánchez Santamaría (presenting / submitting)

University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

Roberto Martínez Mateo (presenting)