Dublin, March 2013 Evaluation and Assessment of Key Competences in Denmark Benvido a Dublin Steen Lassen, senior advisor The Ministry of Children and Education, Denmark
I: The Folkeskole internal and external evaluation II: Upper Secondary Education competences at final exam III: Digital assessment with access to internet
I
The Folkeskole Is the Danish municipal primary and lower secondary school First School Act from 1814 introducing compulsory education for all Consists of one year of pre-school and nine years of primary and lower secondary 98 municipalities 1.605 municipal schools 600.000 students 51.000 teachers Average number of students per class is 19,6 Internal and external evaluation
Internal evaluation Regular evaluations of the students learning outcome are to be carried out Marks from form level 8 Responsibility for school assessment is primarily placed locally Recent initiatives after PISA-surveys - low academic performance OECD-review of Denmark (2004) lack of evaluation culture Government strategy 95% of the students into further education focus on initiatives to improve the culture of evaluation
National tests Obligatory national tests in order to follow the individual students acquisition of knowledge and skills Danish in grade 2, 4, 6 and 8 English in grade 7 Math in grade 3 and 6 Geography in grade 8 Biology in grade 8 Physics/chemistry in grade 8
All tests are computer based All tests are adaptive (continously adapted to the individual student: incorrect answer -> easier question, correct answer -> more difficult question) Results are to be kept confidential (except on national level) Parents are informed in writing about the results Tests are regarded as a pedagogical tool for the teacher to be used in the planning of the further programme National tests are evaluated in 2013 do they help to increase the academic level? do they improve the culture of evaluation?
Student plans To strengthen an ongoing evaluation A written student plan for all students at all levels Contain information about the results of the ongoing evaluations Prepared at least once each school year A single model for the form has not been introduced is the responsibility of the school boards At most schools the plans are handed out to students and parents for schoolhome meetings Hence, most teachers do not bring out the student plan and use it as a tool for the continuous assessment in day-today work (EVA, 2008)
External evaluation, school-leaving Examinations in seven subjects Five compulsory: - written and oral in Danish - written in Math - oral in English - oral in science/chemistry And two examinations are drawn at random by the Ministry Standard rules ensure uniformity throughout the country Papers for written examination are set and marked centrally
II
General Upper Secondary, the Gymnasium Three different 3-year academic programmes qualifying for access to higher education: General Upper Secondary Programme Commercial Upper Secondary Programme Technical Upper Secondary Programme 245 self-governing institutions 139.000 students (65% of a cohort) Average number of students per class is 28
Internal and external evaluation Each student regularly receives term marks in all subjects And final marks when a subject is completed The goal is to strengthen ongoing evaluation and evaluation culture Certain examinations are compulsory in the education programme The Ministry decides each year additional subjects for the individual student The Ministry formulates all written examination questions The Ministry appoints external examiners for all examinations, both oral and written
Examination Designed to test competences rather then memorization (using theory/methods rather than repeating them; e.g. previously unseen text) At most examinations the student may utilise all types of aids, including ICT (no communication) Examination in 9 subjects for each student Written, oral, case/project and mixed forms (different competences)
Forms of examination Major written assignment; 15-20 pages; specialized study project Multi-subject coursework; synopsis; oral examination Written examination; paperbased; 4 or 5 hours Written examination; access to internet Oral examination; preparation time e.g. ½ hour Oral examination; preparation at home 24 hours Oral examination; group with individual marking Oral examination; project-based; possibly randomized question
III
Strategy Fig. 1: Student in the classroom
Strategy Fig. 2: Student during exam
ICT and exam 1994 option in a few subjects, mainly word processing 1997 in commercial and technical: permitted in all written examinations 2000 allowed in all programmes 2000 in commercial: 98% of the students used a pc at the written examination in Danish
ICT-based exam assignments Since 2001 in the programmes hhx and htx (commercial and technical upper secondary) Subjects: Danish, Math, Business Economics, Physics and English CD-rom, no connection to the internet Student paper still printed on paper
Example from Danish New media Opgave A Laurits Munch-Petersen: "Tre på en motorcykel". Kortfilm, 2001. Vist på DR1, august 2002. Varighed: 7 min. 58 sek. Foretag en analyse og fortolkning af Tre på en motorcykel.
Example from physics Opgave 1: Model af broklap For at undersøge en planlagt bro er der blevet lavet en model, der skal vise hvor stærk og holdbar broen er. Den består blandt andet af en broklap, der kan hæves og sænkes. Først er det blevet undersøgt, hvordan broklappen bevæger sig, når den er blevet løftet, og falder ned igen uden modstand. Figur 1 Broklap der er hævet (til venstre) og sænket (til højre) Vedlagt er data fra en måling af broklappens fald, dels som tekst fil og dels i Excel format. Dataene består af 5 kolonner: Tid efter start på faldet, broens overflades vinkel med vandret både i radian og i grader, vinkelhastigheden og endelig tyngdekraftens kraftmoment på broklappen om broklappens hængsel.
Access to internet Started January 2008, first exam assignments in June 2010 The subjects are in General Upper Secondary: Danish, Math and Social Science - and in Commercial Upper Secondary: Business Economics, Marketing and International Economics from 2014 also English as foreign language
Den Store Danske Encyklopædi: William Blake opponerede ikke blot imod den industrielle revolutions "sataniske fabrikker" og arbejderens fremmedgørelse over for sit eget arbejde, men også imod britisk erfaringsfilosofi (empirisme) og imod oplysningsårhundredets fremhævelse af det abstrakte og generelle på det konkrete, sanselige livs bekostning. Bing-oversættelse: William Blake rebelled against the industrial revolution not only "Satanic factories" and coalminer's alienation of its own work, but also against the British experience philosophy (empiricism) and against the century of information highlighting the abstract and General on the concrete, sensual life expense. Babylon-oversættelse: William Blake has not only against that of the industrial revolution "satanic mills" and the worker's alienation from his own work, but also against British empiricism (empiricism) and against oplysningsårhundredets emphasis put on the abstract and general to the specific, carnal living expense. Google-oversættelse: William Blake opposed not only against the industrial revolution"satanic mills" and the worker's alienation from his own work, but also against British empiricism (empiricism) and against oplysningsårhundredets highlighting the abstract and general to the specific, sensuous life expense.
Example from Social Science
How to avoid cheating? The problem is not new, students have always been cheating Teach the students academic standards (part of the curriculum: how to use the Internet, rules for quotation etc) Type of assignment, testing competences/use and not just repetition Focus on the consequences: exclusion from exam next possibility June next year All exam papers will go through copy-control / plagiarism control on the internet (not ready yet)
Research team, summary Conclusion in final report: mission completed successfully Recommendation: the pilot continues and extension to other subjects The competences needed for higher education are strengthened The exam assignments give fair opportunities for both weak and strong students The exam assignments tested the intended goals Academic competencies have been strengthened in daily lessons by use of the internet almost every day
ICT-skills learned from the pilot-subjects are used in other subjects Use of new media is increased in daily lessons
Thank you e-mail: steen.lassen@ktst.dk