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Assessing key competences

European Schoolnet, (2014). Teacher Guide: Assessment of Key Competences in School Education, European Schoolnet, Brussels.

Griffin, P. (2014). Assessing Collaborative Problem Solving, Assessment Research Centre, Melbourne Graduate School of Education.

Lai, E.R. & Viering, M. (2012). Assessing 21st Century Skills: Integrating Research Findings. National Council on Measurement in Education, Vancouver, B.C.

Baker, E. (2003), “Multiple Measures: Toward Tiered Systems”, University of California, National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST), Los Angeles.

Looney, J. (2009). “Assessment and Innovation in Education”, OECD Education Working Papers No. 24, OECD Publishing, Paris.

Looney, J. 'Integrating Formative and Summative Assessment: Progress toward a Seamless System?" , OECD Education Working Papers No. 58, OECD Publishing, Paris.

Black, P. and D. Wiliam (1998). “Assessment and Classroom Learning”, Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy and Practice, CARFAX, Oxfordshire, Vol. 5, pp. 7-74.

Wiliam, D. (2006). “Formative Assessment: Getting the Focus Right”, Educational Assessment, Vol. 11, pp. 283-289.

OECD (2005). Formative Assessment: Improving Learning in Secondary Classrooms, OECD, Paris.

Williams, J. and J. Ryan (2000). “National Testing and the Improvement of Classroom Teaching: Can they Coexist?”, British Educational Research Journal, Vol. 26, pp. 49-73.

Black, P. and D. Wiliam (1998). “Assessment and Classroom Learning’’, Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy and Practice, CARFAX, Oxfordshire, Vol. 5, pp. 7-74.

The Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills Project

Griffin, P., Care, E., & McGaw, B. (2012). The changing role of education and schools. In Griffin, P., Care, E., & McGaw, B. Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills, Dordrecht, Springer.

Csapo, B., Ainley, J., Bennett, R., Latour, T., Law, N. (2012). Technological Issues for computer-based assessment. In P.Griffin, E.Care & McGaw, B. Assessment and Teaching for 21st Century Skills. Dordrecht, Springer.

ATC21S professional development module: Using a developmental model to assess student learning. Available here.

ATC21S professional development module: Defining and assessing 21st century skills. Available here.

ATC21S professional development module: ATC21S Collaborative Problem Solving Assessments. Available here.

ATC21S professional development module: Interpreting reports. Available here.

Griffin, P., McGaw, B. & Care, E., (Eds.) (2014), Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills: Volume 2, Dordrecht: Springer

Griffin, P., McGaw, B. & Care, E., (Eds.) (2012), Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills: Volume 1, Dordrecht: Springer

Competence-based assessment of Mathematics in Ireland

Information on Project Maths. Available here.

State Examinations Commission. (2005) Chief Examiner’s Report Mathematics. Athlone: SEC. Available here.

NFER (2013) Research into the impact of Project Maths on student achievement, learning and motivation. Available here.

NCCA (2005) Review of Mathematics in Post-Primary Education: a discussion paper. Dublin: NCCA. Available here.

Conway, P. and Sloane, F. (2005) International trends in post-primary mathematics education. Dublin: NCCA. Available here.

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3.2 The Key Principles of Assessing Key Competences
The three major approaches to student assessment:

1.  summative assessment ( tests or examinations )

2. formative assessment (= is the kind of “real time” assessment teachers use to understand how well learners understand a new concept or are to apply a new skill – and provide the learner with feedback on what they still need to do to meet the learning objective)

summative  + formative assessment =

gauge learning performance

3. student self-assessment ( focuses on the student’s personal development)
Assessment   needs to be valid, reliable and fair

Assessments of key competences, whether formative, summative or selfassessments, need to capture the student’s:
- Reasoning processes
- Understanding of interconnections
- Ability to perform complex tasks
- Attitudes, such as curiosity, perseverance and motivation to learn.
Traditional assessments that measure discrete bits of knowledge are not effective for measuring how students are able to make connections between ideas, to solve problems, or their attitudes toward learning.
Newer approaches to summative assessment, such as portfolios, ICT-based assessments that can measure the quality open-ended performances, or simulations showing how students carry out a complex process, are more appropriate.
Questions:

1. Questions should be designed to reveal possible misconceptions. Teachers should avoid “yes” or “no” questions or questions that stress recall.

2. They may also provide feedback with specific suggestions on what learners need to do to improve their work and meet learning goals.

3. Feedback may be scaffolded. That is – teachers provide as much or as little information as the student needs to progress to next steps.

3.3 Good Practice in Assessing Key Competences
A. summative assessment
portfolio assessments, ICT-based assessments and simulations, ICT-based platforms for peer assessment and learning
B. formative assessment
extended dialogues and series of questions, observation, review of written work products and portfolios, student presentations, activities and projects, interviews, tests and quizzes, Feedback from teachers – as well as from other students, classroom polling devices, educational video games, or interactive white boards. Internet social networks
C. students’ self-assessment
action research
3.4 Assessing Collaborative Problem-Solving
Participation skills :  action, interaction, and task completion
Perspective-taking skills:  Responsiveness, Audience awareness skills
Social regulation skills: Metamemory indicative behaviours,  Transactive memory indicative behaviours, Negotiation skills, Responsibility
Cognitive domain of collaborative problem-solving: 1. task regulation:  Problem analysis -  Goal-setting -  Resource management - Flexibility skills -  Collecting data –  Systematicity
2. knowledge building:   Relationships within the data,   Contingencies,   Hypotheses
Collaborative Problem Solving - One dimension
Assumes joint responsibility, synthesises and incorporates feedback, evaluates performance of self and others, tailors communication, resolves differences.
Participates in tasks irrespective of familiarity or scaffolding, initiates and promotes interactions, responds to perspectives of others, comments on performance of others, asks for feedback on own performance, attempts to resolve differences
Shares resources and information, modifies communication for mutual understanding; acknowledges performances of others, comments on own performance.
Interacts to solve the problem; discusses task with others; contributes to
understanding of others; reports own activities.
Works with others when the task is familiar or scaffolded; communicates with others about significant events and/or resources.
Works independently; acknowledges communication from others.
3.5 The Irish Experience of Assessing Mathematics Using a Competence-Based Approach
Changes to assessment
We had two major aims in mind when it came to assessment:
1. That formative assessment would be more of a feature of the day to day practice in the classroom and it would support the development of mathematical proficiencies.
2. That the final examinations would be less predictable than they were in the past and they would include a section on problem-solving and applying knowledge to unfamiliar situations

Challenges
Adopting the changed approach to teaching maths brought with it a number of challenges. These can be summarised as:
• Teaching to develop skills as well as procedural fluency
• A change in the role of the teacher and the student
• Continued impact of the exam
• Heavy reliance on tests in the classroom.
Four successes of the initiative around assessing key competences.
1.  alignment of the syllabus with the assessment
2.  investment in CPD
3.  Improved teacher competence
4.  change to assessment

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Project-based learning

Harper, A. (2014). Teacher Guide: Using Project Based Learning to Develop Students' Key Competences, European Schoolnet, Brussels.

Virtual Guide to Entrepreneurial Learning. Available here.

Patton, A. (2012) Work that matters: The teacher’s guide to project-based learning. Available here.

15 publications on various aspects of eTwinning including resources for project-based learning.

Buck Institute of Education website. Available here.

Eudtopia’s resources on project-based learning. Available here.

Examples of prize-winning European eTwinning projects

Gilleran, A., Kearney, C. (2014). Developing Pupil Competences through eTwinning, European Schoolnet, Brussels.

eTwinning Project – Rainbow Village. Video and Twinspace.

eTwinning Project – Let Your Passions Shine. Video and Twinspace.

eTwinning Project – Pek, The Traveler Flea. Video and Twinspace.

eTwinning Project – Health 4 Life. Video and Twinspace.

Collaborative learning

Griffin, P. & Care, E.. (2014). Developing learners’ collaborative problem-solving skills. Available here.

Transversal key competences for lifelong learning: training teachers in competence based education – TRANSIt Training Framework

TRANSIt Training Framework. Available here.

TRANSIt Training Framework Design

TRANSIt Initial Trainees Guide

TRANSIt Adapatation of Technical Tools

Register here to access the TRANSIt 4 Training Modules and the Mahara ePortfolio

Project Maths - Ireland

Project Maths video. Available here.

Project Maths website. Available here.

Information on new Mathematics syllabuses and rationale for the initiative. Available here.

National Centre for Excellence in Maths and Science Teaching and Learning. Available here.

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Module 1: Introducing Competences for 21 st Century Schools

The importance and definition of competences

Schleicher, A. (2009). The case for 21st-century learning, OECD, Paris.

Binkley, M., Erstad, O., Hermna, J., Raizen, S., Ripley, M., Miller-Ricci, M., & Rumble, M. (2012). Defining Twenty-First Century Skills. In Griffin, P., Care, E., & McGaw, B. Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills, Dordrecht, Springer.

Hoskins, B & Deakin Crick R., (2010) Competences for Learning to Learn and Active Citizenship: different currencies or two sides of the same coin? European Journal of Education, Vol. 45, Number 1, March.

Legendre, Marie-Françoise (2008). « La notion de compétence au coeur des réformes curriculaires : Effet de mode ou moteur de changements en profondeur ? ». In Audigier François & Tutiaux-Guillon Nicole (dir.). Compétences et contenus : les curriculums en questions. Brussels: De Boeck, p. 27-50.

Voogt and Pareja Roblin (2010). 21st century skills. Discussienota. Enschede: Universiteit Twente.

Competence Reference Frameworks

European Union’s Recommendation on Key Competences for Lifelong Learning. Available here.

UNESCO framework. Available here.

OECD DESECO framework. Available here.

Partnerships 21 framework. Available here.

ATC21S framework. Available here.

UNESCO ICT Competency Framework for Teachers. Available here.

Teaching key competences

Old school or new school? Teach future skills and traditional subjects together. Available here.

ATC21S professional development module: Teaching and learning 21st century skills. Available here.

ATC21S professional development module: ATC21S: Examples of teaching 21st century sub-skills in existing lessons. Available here.

Competence-based education in Europe today

Eurydice (2012). Developing Key Competences at School in Europe: Challenges and Opportunities for Policy. Available here.

Kearney, C. (2013). European Mapping of Initiatives on the Development of Key Competences, European Schoolnet, Brussels.

KeyCoNet's 2014 Review of the Literature: A Summary, European Schoolnet, Brussels.

KeyCoNet 2013 Literature Review: Key competence development in school education in Europe, European Schoolnet, Brussels.

KeyCoNet 2013 Literature Review: Assessment for key competences, European Schoolnet, Brussels.

KeyCoNet's Catalogue of initiatives, European Schoolnet, Brussels.

KeyCoNet's Case Studies from Austria, Belgium (Flanders), England, Estonia, Finland, France, Ireland, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Europe, European Schoolnet, Brussels.

KeyCoNet's Peer Learning Visits to Seville, Dublin and Malta, European Schoolnet, Brussels.

KeyCoNet's Country Overviews of Austria, Belgium (Flanders), Estonia, Finland, France, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden, European Schoolnet, Brussels.

Wiśniewski J. (2009) Key competences in Europe: opening doors for life-long learners across the school curriculum and teacher education. CASE-Center for Social and Economic Research

Key Skills in Ireland

Junior Cycle Key Skills Framework website information. Available here.

Junior Cycle Key Skills Framework PDF. Available here.

Senior Cycle Key Skills Framework website information. Available here.

Senior Cycle Key Skills Framework PDF. Available here.

Project Maths in Ireland

Project Maths website. Available here.

Project Maths video. Available here.

National Council for Curriculum & Assessment website section on Project Maths. Available here.

Websites

European KeyCoNet website: http://keyconet.eun.org

Spanish KeyCoNet website: http://www.keyconetspain.org/wordpress/

French KeyCoNet website: http://ife.ens-lyon.fr/KeyCoNet/web/app.php

Videos

KeyCoNet case study videos from across Europe: http://keyconet.eun.org/videos

Other relevant articles & publications

OECD (2010), Are the New Millennium Learners Making the Grade? Technology Use and Educational Performance in PISA 2006, OECD, Paris.

Selwyn, N. (2013), Discourses of digital ‘disruption’ in education: a critical analysis, Monash University, Australia

Wilson & Scalise (2012). Measuring collaborative digital literacy. Available here.

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European Union Framework
8 Key Competences

1.   Communication in the mother tongue

2.  Communication in foreign languages

3. Mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology

4. Digital competence

5.  Learning to learn

6.  Social and civic competences

7. Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship

8. Cultural awareness and expression

Learning to learn
is defined as the ability to pursue and persist in learning, to organise one's own learning, including through effective management of time and information, both individually and in groups. This competence includes awareness of one's learning process and needs, and the ability to overcome obstacles in order to learn successfully. Learning to learn engages learners to build on prior learning and life experiences in order to use and apply knowledge and skills at home, at work, in education and training.
8 key principles for teaching key competences effectively

1.  task-based :  active, authentic, collaborative tasks based on problem-solving.

2.  interdisciplinary:  through contexts of several subject areas.

3.  collaborative and individualised:develop social and communicative competences, but also be able to act autonomously and self-manage.

4.  learner- and teacher-led: encourage pupils to be active and responsible for their own learning, activities need to be supported by guidance.

5.  technologically innovative:  digital competence

6.  inside and outside of school : extra-curricular activities and after school programmes,  informal and non-formal learning.

7.    collaborate with the wider community

8.  social and emotional aspects of learning: including the quality of relationships between and among teachers and learners.

Key Points on Assessing Key Competences

1. Summative assessment :  tests and examinations

2.  Formative assessment :interactive assessment that takes place in the course of learning

3. Student self-assessment of progress toward the transversal competences: each student to track his or her development.

Competence-based education in Europe today
Several European countries, including Austria, Bulgaria, the Flemish Community of Belgium, Finland, France, Norway, Spain, Portugal and Poland, have introduced new legislation or amended existing legislation to set out goals and frameworks for integrating key competences into school education. Most European countries have also introduced key competences and related learning outcomes into their national curricula for compulsory education, during the last decade.
Irish case study: Key Skills in the Irish Curriculum & Project Maths

Learning Activity

Module 1 Library

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I am a teacher of Greek language and literature.  I work in a secondary school in Kiato of Korinthia.

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κιάτο κορινθία σικυωνιών σικυώνα

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Κορινθία : Δήμος Σικυωνίων. | korinthiaguide.com |

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Ο νεοσύστατος Δήμος Σικυωνίων (έδρα Κιάτο) προέρχεται από τη συνένωση τριών ΟΤΑ (του Δήμου Σικυωνίων, του Δήμου Στυμφαλίας και του Δήμου Φενεού).

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Module 2: Teaching Key Competences through Project-Based Learning

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Module 2: Teaching Key Competences through Project-Based Learning

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2.2. How to Design Project-Based Learning Activities(PBL)
=  uses methods such as inquiry-based learning and problem-based learning

A.  Inquiry-based learning method =  starts with questioning, continues with exploration and investigation and ends with finding a solution, drawing a reasonable conclusion, making a substantive decision or applying new knowledge or skills.
"non-Googleable Driving Questions" In other words questions that cannot be easily answered by just looking up Google, Bing, Wikipedia etc.
The purpose of PBL is to encourage pupils to research and to find answers and solutions, to help them develop higher-order thinking skills: analyse the information they find, interpret it and compare their findings, synthesis the ideas, evaluate its strengths and weaknesses, peer and self-assess it, find solutions and create a new product.
B.  Problem-based learning method = Students are given a real life problem to investigate, which can be described as an authentic problem and have to come up with possible solutions

They also work best when students have to work in small teams or groups.

The two methods are closely related to each other and often overlap.

It is also interesting to note that in this approach, there are not necessarily right or wrong answers. Each solution may have merits and demerits and the students have to analyse and judge.

Implementing the PBL approach in your teaching

1.  What is your project idea?

2. What is the time frame proposed?

3. Is the project idea manageable?

4. Is it a project just between you and your class or will you collaborate with other teachers in your school or in other countries

5. If it involves partners from other countries, what is the language proposed?

6. What subjects could be integrated into this project?

7. What technical tools, if any, will you use?

8. How does your project fit with the school planning and calendar?

7 STEPS
Step 1. Involve your students from the very beginning. Start with a guided exploration of some topics you have in mind as a whole class; but also be prepared to change if better ideas are emerging from the class. It is important to establish certain ground rules regarding behavior with them in advance.
Step 2. Having defined the topic, in discussion with the class break it down into different tasks. Discuss which technologies to use and how they will be integrated
Step 3. Plan well, set goals, define outcomes. Above all be concrete, students need goals to work towards and responsibility of tasks in order to achieve them
Step 4. Proceed to put pupils into small groups with responsibilities for a particular task. Encourage pupils to ask personally relevant and socially significant questions regarding the topics chosen. Work to the strengths of each pupil.
Step 5. Create a tangible artifact that addresses the issue, answers questions, and makes learning visible and accountable.
Step 6. Arrive at a conclusion...take a stand...take action.
Step 7. Document, justify, and share conclusion with larger audience. (parents, school etc)

2.3.  How to Develop Learners’ Collaborative Problem-Solving Skills
Patrick Griffin & Esther Care Assessment Research Centre, Melbourne Graduate School of Education
The KSAVE Framework for ATC21S

1. Ways of thinking (creativity and innovation, critical thinking, problem-solving, and learning to learn and the development of metacognition).

2.  Ways of working (communication, collaboration and teamwork)

3.   Tools for working (information and ICT literacy)

4.  Living in the world (local and global citizenship, aspects of life and career development, and personal and social responsibility)

Delors’ Report (1996) : 4 pillars

1. learning to know (memory, reasoning and problem solving)

2. learning to do(developing an aptitude for teamwork and initiative, and a readiness to take risks)

3.  learning to be (all-round development of each individual)

4. and learning to live together (understanding of others)

OECD's

1.  a wide range of tools for interacting effectively with others and the environment (information technology,  language)

2.  engage with others

3. take responsibility for managing their own lives through situating themselves in the broader social context.

http://www.p21.org/about-us/p21-framework
Collaborative problem solving
= is a complex skill requiring both social and cognitive competencies
Steps ( ATC21S). Collaborative problem solving is therefore defined as a joint activity where two or more people work together to contribute knowledge, skills, materials and procedures and move through a series of cognitive states that involve collection and analysis of information and the formulation of hypotheses that they jointly set out to test.

1.   each of the individuals within the collaborative team explores the problem space and identifies the elements and aspects of it. They might record their observations individually at this stage

2. students collecting and sharing information about problem elements and how they link together.

3. Discussion then centres on whether there are patterns and links between elements of the problem, both within and across the areas of observation available to each of the participants.

4. the discussion and collaboration begin to formulate rules or contingencies associated with actions and observations. These need to be shared across the participants’ observation space. The discussion follows the “if… then” paradigm.

5.  By a process of observation and collecting data about the link between
actions and observations, the collaborators then begin to formulate rules or contingencies. These lead to generalisations so that the collaborators can conclude that every time a particular action takes place a particular
consequence is observed. At this point they move from inductive to deductive reasoning in the hierarchy of problem solving skills.

6. At the highest ATC21S level of performance, students reflect on the kind of conclusions that are drawn from the information about exceptions to the generalisations. At this point the students are testing hypotheses by challenging generalisations. They address the issue with such expressions as "what if…"

STEPS for teacher

1.  Define the problem or collaborative project.

2.  Identify project elements and components in detail;

3. for each component identify the resources that are essential. These can be; a. knowledge b. materials c. strategies d. experience e. equipment;

4. Allocate to each participant non-overlapping, unique sets of resources necessary to be contributed to the project completion or problem resolution. Divide the resources amongst the participants with no shared or common resources.

5.   5. Clearly state the goals of the task or problem solution and observed to students procedure in the task.

6. Explain to the participants that they must identify the problem, sort out a strategy to resolve the problem or complete the task The students also need to develop a means of keeping records of their decisions and discussions. For face-to-face attempts at collaborative problemsolving or collaborative project work keeping records is an essential aspect of the assessment process.

2.4 A Teacher’s Experience of Using Project-Based Learning to Teach Mathematics
5 effective strategies for the challenge

1.  •Collaboration among the department

2. Intensive school support

3. Supportive leadership

4. Team teaching

5. Use of IT to support learning

Using a skills-based approach and project-based learning in the maths class, four tips to teachers would be the following

1.  Use project-based learning

2.  Create an environment where students can make connections across the subject

3. Create rich tasks and encourage students to use different strategies

4.  Encourage students to discuss maths and justify their solutions

2.5 Examples of Project-Based Learning from Across Europe