2 – Work file 1: Different dimensions of assessment

The different dimensions of students’ assessment include three levels. By using this cube model, the interdependence of the three dimensions can be explained.

Dimension 1 – perspectives: students can assess themselves (self-assessment) or they can be assessed by others (assessment by others).

Dimension 2 – forms: assessment can have three different forms – assessment of learning processes, assessment of learning achievements and prognostic. Each form has advantages and disadvantages.

Dimension 3 – standards of reference: for assessment a teacher can orient himself/herself on an individual standard (the student), on an objective standard (learning goal) or on a social standard (position of student in class). It depends very much on the standard of reference what impact assessment has on the future learning of the student.

Before we start reflecting upon the different dimensions we have to ask ourselves what competences we assess. In EDC/HRE this question is answered by the three competences already discussed: competence of analysis, competence of political reasoning and action competence.

In this respect we can also raise the following questions which revolve around the aspect of setting clear and objective criteria for evaluating and assessing:

• Is it the essentials which are tested in the assessment of students’ performance (permanently stored information, facts of exemplary importance, and in excess of mere knowledge of facts, “the tools of thought and action”, skills and abilities)?
• In marking the students’ work, are the marks defined by unbiased criteria?
• Do the standards of performance in the test correspond to those of the syllabus?
• Have all the requirements which have to be met to achieve a certain mark been determined beforehand (different levels of achievement)?
• Does the test also enable the students to understand which parts of a learning objective they have achieved?
• Have different types of testing been developed for students with different starting conditions?
• Can the students carry out the tests individually where this seems appropriate (for example, can they choose the exact point in time)?