Comparing country approaches to assessing key

Introducing KeyCoNet Caroline Kearney, European Schoolnet

Workshop 1: Comparing country approaches to assessing key competences Irish EU Presidency Conference on Better Assessment and Evaluation www.europeanschoolnet.org - www.eun.org

Scope European policy network

IMPACT ON POLICIES (recommendations)

on the implementation

KNOW HOW EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK OF 8 KEY COMPETENCES: 1. COMMUNICATION IN MOTHER TONGUE

Subject/knowledge based

2. COMMUNICATION IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES 3. MATHS, SCIENCES & TECHNOLOGY COMPETENCES

of key competences

4. DIGITAL COMPETENCE 5. LEARNING TO LEARN 6. SOCIAL AND CIVIC COMPETENCES

Cross-curricular areas

7. SENSE OF INITIATIVE AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP 8. CULTURAL AWARENESS AND EXPRESSION

These key competences are all interdependent, and the emphasis in each case is on:

in school education • critical thinking • creativity • initiative • problem solving

PRIMARY & SECONDARY

• risk assessment • decision taking EDUCATION GENERAL • constructive management of feelings

Two main working areas Website, literature

Curriculum reform, pilot project, school experiment, national

Identifying

Increasing

analysing

network

mapping

influence

etc.

KCD INITIATIVES & IMPLEMENTATION

Phases, role of

notes/studies, PLVs, videos, country overviews, newsletter, webinar, online

strategy, public debate, legislation,

reviews, case

STRATEGIES

consultation on

through

recommendations etc.

dissemination and membership

Spread of

various

stakeholders in

stakeholders,

countries covered

evaluation, etc.

Other EU countries

Core remit: identifying and analysing emergent strategies in implementing key competences into education reforms, and producing recommendations.

Major focus Teacher

Student

training

assessment

How to implement a holistic approach for an effective change in the student curriculum? Learning

School

resources

organisation

Enablers?

Obstacles?

Partners

Policy

Research

Practice

•BMUKK (AT) •DGESCO (FR) •AKOV (BE - nl) •CEJA (ES) •NCCA (IE) •TIGER LEAP (EE) •Uni. Helsinki (FI) •Uni. Jyväskylä (FI) •EIESP (FR) •IFE (FR) •Uni. Oslo (NO) •Uni. Lisbon (PT) •Uni. Minho (PT) •UNED (ES) • INSP.GEN (FR) • REKTORSAKADEMIEN (SE) • JA-YE (BE)

Consult our website & outputs Website (http://keyconet.eun.org)

Brochure

Lit. review on KC assessment

Case note catalogue

Newsletter

Outputs on USB

Structure of workshop Two presentations

Group discussions Feedback

• UK example (K. Grant) • FR examples (B. Pajot)

• 3 groups (led by KeyCoNet partners) • 1 question to answer per group • Rapporteurs to feedback 3 main points emerging from group discussion

Questions for group discussion

Group 1:

How are KCs assessed? Group 2:

Portfolios Group 3:

ICT

• Are key competences assessed in your country? • If so how are they assessed: through the curriculum or as an extra assessment and qualification? • What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? • The use of portfolios as an assessment approach recognises the complexity of assessing experiential and active learning without reducing the process into an assessment focused on the acquisition of knowledge alone. • What are your views? • Can ICT contribute to the assessment and evaluation of key competences? • What are your experiences of the use of ICT in relation to key competences in your country?

ASDAN Certificate of Personal Effectiveness (CoPE)

Kath Grant – Head of Personal Effectiveness, ASDAN

ASDAN Certificate of Personal Effectiveness CoPE Key Competences in Personal and Communication Skills

Assessed Competences in… • • • • • •

Working With Others Improving own Learning Problem Solving Research Discussion Oral Presentation

Teaching & Assessment Contexts • • • • • •

Enterprise Community & Volunteering Work Experience Outdoor & Adventure Expressive Arts Academic

Recording documents - mandatory

Supporting Evidence – individual

Support from Employers “Building up my own interior design business took skills they don’t necessarily teach you in school, skills like creative thinking and problem solving. Young people should be encouraged, through education, to follow their own passions and interests. They’re going to be much more motivated if they are allowed to express their individuality and if they can see how their learning connects to real life outside the classroom.

I left school at 18 and it took me a while to find my calling, but once I did, there was no stopping me. Success came from pursuing my passion for vintage designs and from having the confidence to buck the trends of the time. It would be great if schools could instill that sense of self-belief in all students, and recognise creativity in the same way that they recognise academic achievement. That’s why qualifications like ASDAN’s CoPE are so important, because they allow young people to be recognised and rewarded for their individual talents, without requiring them to ‘fit the mould’.” Cath Kidston

Support from Employers “Employers need young people with the employability skills essential for work-and life. These skills- application of numeracy and literacy and IT, self management, team working, problem solving, business awareness-can be developed through school based study and work experience. Students who take ASDAN’s Certificate of Personal Effectiveness should be able to demonstrate that they have the skills employers are looking for-and they will be warmly welcomed by employers.” Susan Anderson CBI

Endorsement by HE Bath Spa University

Brunel University

Burton College

De Montfort University

Goldsmiths College

Harper Adams University College

Heriot-Watt University

King’s College London

Leeds College of Music

London Metropolitan University

Loughborough University

Mid – Cheshire College

New College Nottingham

Newman University College

Nottingham Trent University

Oxford & Cherwell Valley College

Swansea University

Swansea Metropolitan University The Royal Agricultural College (Formerly Swansea Institute of Higher Education)

University of Abertay Dundee

University of Aberdeen

University of Bradford

University of Bedfordshire

University of Buckingham

University of Cumbria

University of Derby

University of Dundee

University of Glasgow

University of Huddersfield

University of Liverpool

University of Newcastle

Wakefield College

York College

Network • Free local meetings 3x year • Cluster Leader advice • Interim feedback

Resources • • • • • •

CoPE resource pack CoPE demonstration portfolios CoPE posters CoPE Schemes of Work ; Levels 1 & 2 CoPE portfolio binder CoPE stickers

Assessment of Key Competences: two French examples in lower secondary education Bertrand PAJOT – General Inspectorate – French Ministry of Education KeyCoNet Workshop 19 March 2013- Dublin Castle

Background: •

•

A national policy: the development of the “socle commun” (core curriculum of knowledge and competences) introduced by the 2005 law, with 7 competences mainly mainly based on the European Key competences framework, and concerning each level of compulsory education (primary and lower secondary schools). A centralized country…but with the possibility of pedagogical initiatives at local level: – –

linked to national experiments, which want to test new pedagogical approaches or tools. Linked to local experiments, in which pedagogical teams want to test new “know-how” to answer to specific needs for their pupils.

Example 1:

• A pilot competences portfolio (collège de Montastruc): – Uses a pilot portfolio, defined at national level, but possibly adapted to local use. – Compiles in and outside schools’ competences – Helps each student to : • have a better understanding of competences • develop confidence in their own abilities and self esteem, at an age in which their relations with teachers change a lot. • highlight their experiences and informal learning

Example 2:

• Competences and self esteem ( collège de Vérac): – implementation of non numerical assessments to reinforce students’ self esteem and involvement in their studies. – development of an IT tool by the pedagogical team to help assessment of the disciplinary and cross curricula competences.

Results:

• A better mastering of key competences by the teachers (content, link to syllabi and subjects, assessment of processes, etc.), • Changes in students’ attitude toward their schooling, implying less stress about their learning skills. • A real interest in other ways to assess: portfolio, non numerical evaluation by all stakeholders. • positive influence in students’ achievement • better image of the school by the students and their families.

Prospects:

• Use these initiatives (and many others…): – To help teachers improve their teaching and assessment by competences, “hot issues” in many lower secondary schools. – To produce resources for initial and in service training, identifying best practices. – To extend these methodologies to upper secondary education (“lycée”)

• Provide information for the new education act in which the core curriculum’s objectives are completed by the ideas of culture as well as knowledge and competences.

• Many thanks for your attention.