This page is a way to reflect about some readings I have done in Finland.

 

Reading 1: Student Assessment in Project Based Learning – Chapter 9 -  (FERNANDES; FLORES; LIMA).

 

Authors’ arguments are related to change the point of view to evaluate the learning process from tests - that are in hands of others - to assessment - that is in students’ hands. In a case study research, authors present the Alternative Formative Assessment – AFA, that is a new approach centered on students’ cognitive processes and on processes of feedback, regulation, self-regulation and self-assessment of learning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reflection: the concept regarding assessment and its different types is complex and there is not a unique definition. Despite this complexity, one  form is proposed by Bloom, Hastings e Madaus (1983), that present 3 types of forms to know about students’ progress in their learning processes: 

 

Diagnostic assessment – in the beginning of the process with the aim o obtain information about prior knowledge of students. This is a form that gives to teachers the possibility to identify prior concepts of students about a field or area. This specie of diagnosis is called “prognosis” when referring to a group of students and diagnosis when referring to a single person. 

 

 Formative assessment – this type is realized during the process of learning  and is referent to the theory that students can restructure their knowledge during activities and projects that are developed during the process. Teachers can follow the progress of students via successive approximations.

 

 Summative assessment – with emphasis to the results of process, in general it occurs at the end of periods of learning. This kind of assessment can verify if proposed goals were achieved by students.  This kind of assessment is predominant in Brazilian universities and schools, at least in those that uses traditional lectures. 

 

 The authors present a case study called Project-LED Education. In PLE assessment is based on continuous assessment of the project supporting courses (PSC) and assessments of the projects and results, in individual and group form. The chapter ends with a presentation of students and teachers perceptions about this form of assessment. 

PLE is based in multidisciplinary projects, monitoring and assessment of all learning process when developing these projects. In that way is possible, according to authors, providing useful and contextualized information of groups performance. This was also eased by collection of multiple sources of data about the process. During the development of projects, students could develop some competences regarding project management, and assessment during processes could provide feedback and ways for improving learning processes.

 

Three actors of learning processes have different roles. Teachers with role of assessment of learning outcomes and technical competences, tutors through assessment of students’ learning processes and students through active role by evaluating partners (group members) during processes. 

 

There were some projects Milestones that helps coordination with information of the state of the progress of students. There are some artifacts produced and presented by students to provide those information. For instance, it was possible to assess communication, organization, leadership, initiative, creativity, etc. 

 

Reflection: It is normal that in group working the groups could alternate between phases of high and low motivation, accomplishment, enthusiasm or self-confidence. Individually is difficult to achieve a good performance without some help of self-assessment and reflection. The need is not only about action and assimilation of new contents over tasks and projects, but also deep understanding of what and why they are doing a task. These two processes are related to assimilation and accommodation processes of constructivism, in my opinion. 

 

 

Students’ perceptions of this kind of assessment in PLE show that deep-level learning and critical thinking are focused. They thought that interdisciplinarity and real projects problems (outside academic world), linking theory and practice through direct application of the concepts. Authors argument that in a survey carried on six months after the project many students still preferring the traditional teaching methods and assessment where they had a passive hole. Also, having little time to developing projects is one fact that may make motivation and accomplishment fall.

 

References

 

 

BLOOM, B. S.; HASTINGS, J. T.; MADAUS, G. F. Manual de avaliação formativa e somativa do aprendizado escolar. São Paulo: Pioneira, 1983.

 

FERNANDES, S.; FLORES M. A.; LIMA R. M. Student Assessment in Project Based Learning. In Project Approaches to Learning in Engineering Education - The Practice of Teamwork. ISBN: 978-94-6091-958-9 (Online) – Chapter 9.