Assessment and evaluation

In a PBL environment there is a lot of informal formative assessment (evaluation) throughout the process, e.g. each time facilitators respond to students’ work and each day when students are discussing their own work. However, there is also a summative assessment or examination, to legitimise that the demanded skills are obtained.

The hidden curriculum The form and content of the assessment is part of the hidden curriculum which exists in the problem and project based system like in all other educational systems. Usually the teachers do not think much about this aspect, but there is no doubt that the students seek to read the facilitator’s criteria for a good project. Therefore, it is important to discuss the goal of teaching, the project goal, the students’ goals and the facilitator’s goals together with the criteria in the examination to avoid a hidden assessment.

Individual or group Assessment shared project work should, in principle, lead to a shared grade, but in many places the legal framework dictates that the group members are graded individually. In the Danish system there are individual oral exams where the students have to defend their project. As examiners, both the facilitator and an external expert are present. It is the oral exam that officially counts for judgement.

As a facilitator you may be in a dilemma because you have an insight into the group work during the preparation of the project. If during the facilitation you have noticed weak students in the group you cannot mention this to the external examiner unless it is directly readable in the final project exam. On the other hand you might say that a facilitator who has such a presumption must be obliged to test the weak student’s knowledge level in connection with the assessment.

One of the other important principles of project work is that learning happens through cooperation between the students in the group. Excellent collaboration means that you are able to give each other meaningful professional feedback through discussion and dialogue. Some groups can even change drafts and work on each other’s contributions to the project.

However, study regulations might demand for a specific assessment method.

Project assessment Project assessment can happen as formative or summative assessment, where the group presents and discuss their project and the facilitator

functions as chairman and/or examiner.

Regulatory limitations In Denmark the group was previously able to present, discuss and be assessed in a group setting. However in 2006 it was banned by law to make summative assessment of students in a group setting. From that point project presentations and discussions with the group can only be used as informal formative evaluation in a Danish context. This is done under the notion of ‘status seminars’.

Formative assessment – status seminars

Project presentation The students start with introducing a draft agenda and each group member makes a short oral presentation. The choice of topic of the oral presentations varies. It may be a summary on essential results from the project, elaborating on additional fields of theory or a presentation of results from empirical studies and tests made after the project. In excess of the professional aim, the oral presentation is also a guarantee that all group members get the opportunity to train his or hers presentation skills.

The oral presentation is normally commented on by the facilitator with regard to content as well as form.

Discussion The oral presentations as well as the working papers form the basis for discussion. The facilitator leads this part of the evaluation and how it is practised varies dependent on the group’s presentation skills, the quality of the working papers and the strategy of the facilitator. In some cases this part of the evaluation is used for a critical and detailed exposition, especially if there are weak and faulty sections.

In other cases – when the project is well-prepared – the problem presentation, theories and analysis of the project are basis for discussing new perspectives and relate the project to other contexts.

Peer and self assessment Formative assessment of the project work may assume many other forms.

For example you can integrate peer-evaluation or self-evaluation in a systematic way. At occasions Aalborg University practises a system where each project group receives feedback from an opponent or peer group. An optimum use of this system requires that the role of the peer group is clearly defined.

Summative assessment – the exam

Testing The practise of summative assessments varies due to cultural differences at the different educational establishments. At some institutions the students draw questions and answer them individually (this goes for all Danish institutions). At other educational institutions the examiner poses

more elaborating and in-depth questions to each group member during a discussion phase.

The marking is normally reserved for the facilitator and the examiner to mark students’ efforts. After marking it is important to schedule time to inform the students about the considerations and the arguments behind the grade. This may start new reflections which might improve students learning and skills.

4) Marking