631: Practice-Oriented Assessment and Quality Assurance in Work-Related Learning

One reason for focusing the QUAL-PRAXIS project on practice-oriented assessment was that modes of assessment have proved to be resistant to change, although new concepts of teaching and learning have been adopted to meet the demands facing teaching and learning in the labour market. The QUAL-PRAXIS project (Stenstr m & Laine 2006a) indicates that practice-oriented assessment is a method of assessing work-related learning that suits a wide range of educational domains. By analysing and discussing the various case studies the QUAL-PRAXIS project (Stenstr m & Laine 2006b) was able to specify a number of common elements underpinning good practices in the partner countries, although the educational systems and levels targeted were varied.

The elements can be characterised as representing an activity environment (authentic context, assessor training, transparent assessment, joint assessment, and multiplicity of methods) and a learning process (part of learning, reflection, self-assessment, feedback). Most of the above mentioned features are also seen in the Finnish case study concerning vocational skills demonstrations. They provide students a possibility to show how successfully they have reached the VET targets and acquired the working-life skills. The findings show that vocational skills demonstrations have enhanced cooperation between educational institutions and working life.

632: The Institutional Embeddedness of Functions and Practices of Assessment in Dual Vocational Education

Based on results of the European research project QUAL-PRAXIS and research and developments within the dual systems of VET in Germany, Switzerland and Austria (Breuer, 2006; Breuer & M ller, 2000; Frey, J ger, & Renold, 2005; Metzger, 2006), this contribution will reflect on the different practices of assessment applied in dual systems in comparison to the findings on recent developments in practice-oriented assessment within the project QUAL-PRAXIS.

When making a distinction between the three different basic societal functions of assessment in vocational learning: selection of social positions, allocation of human resources and diagnosis of learning and development (Walter, 1996) it can be seen that the former two dominate the latter in dual vocational education. However, recent developments in practices and concepts of assessment take into account the pedagogical functions of assessment in varying degrees within the three countries. The specific institutional context is one explanatory factor for this variation.

633: Multiplicity of Methods in Assessment as a Form of Quality Assurance, Control and Improvement

This research was primarily concerned with the evaluation of the assessment procedures, particularly the practice-oriented assessment procedures, used to establish quality and certify standards within the School of Education Studies in Dublin City University, Ireland. To explore the quality assurance arrangements, systems and procedures in vocationally related education in Ireland it is important to put this in an overall national context. A recurring theme in the "quality" literature in education and training is the need to achieve consistency of judgement within diverse or complex systems. Hoyle (1994, 3) defines quality as: 'a degree of excellence, conformance with requirements, the totality of product or service features that satisfy given needs, fitness for use, freedom from defects, imperfections or contaminations and delighting customers'.

This paper describes how educators in vocationally related education can adopt certain approaches to assessing student learning and understanding and thus create assessment mechanisms that can be regarded as quality assured. This paper is derived from research carried out in a the an Education & Training degree programme in the School of Education Studies at Dublin City University (DCU), Ireland and also contributed to the Qual-Praxis project 2003-2006.

634: Assessment of Practical Training in VET as Communication Between Schools, Workplaces and Student: Problems Related to Those Communication Acts

The aim of the paper is to analyse the assessment of practical training as factor of quality assurance in the system of vocational education and training (VET). In Estonia, like in many countries with school-based VET system, one of the problems related to practical training in enterprises can be poor cooperation between schools and enterprises. The responsibilities of the different parties in the process of practical training are sometimes not clear at all. In this paper, Niklas Luhmann's system theory was taken as a theoretical framework in conceptualising existing assessment practices in the fields of training of nurses and IT specialists as acts of communication between schools, training workplaces and apprentices.

The empirical data have gathered by semi-structured interviews with different stakeholders in the assessment process, including vocational schools, enterprises and students. In the context the Luhmann's system theory offered a useful framework for structuring empirical data. By conceptualising the assessment of practical training as acts of communication between systems some problems came to light.

635: The Concepts of Assessment and Reflection in Practice-Oriented Assessment

In the QUAL-PRAXIS project, reflection has been identified as a key component of practice-oriented assessment. The ability to reflect has also been identified as one of the core educational objectives of the examples from Austria: practice-oriented assessment in social work programmes available at a university of applied science (Fachhochschule). Thus, reflection is both a central element of social worker s training at higher education and of practice-oriented assessment; the ability to reflect has to be acquired by doing and the assessment process also has to be based on doing. In this presentation, the concepts of assessment and reflection in the context of practice-oriented assessment will be discussed and illustrated with examples.

The following questions will be addressed: How can a teacher (functioning as an examiner) assess whether a student is learning from doing rather than just doing? How can the teacher evaluate a student's level of reflective competence? What are the contradictory elements of assessment and reflection? How can these limitations be overcome? What are the requirements of using reflection to assess the ability to reflect?

Full Papers:

[PDF version - full paper] Quality Assurance and Practice-Oriented Assessment in European Vocational Education and Training (QUAL-PRAXIS Project)

Preview Info - Stenstrom_Laine_ecer2007_007.pdf - 252.87 Kb

Dr. Marja-Leena Stenström and Ms. Kati Laine Institute for Educational Research University of Jyväskylä Finland Paper presentation for the Vocational Education and Training Network Ghent, Belgium 19 - 21 September 2007

[PDF version - slides] The institutional embeddedness of functions and practices of assessment

Preview Info - Grollmann, Assessment, VETNET210907final.ppt.pdf - 68.07 Kb

Philipp Grollmann, Roland Tutschner University of Bremen, GERMANY. Contribution to VETNET 2007 "New approaches of assessment and quality in work-related learning"