What is Programmatic Assessment?
Programmatic assessment is a holistic approach where the complete development of the student is evaluated. The main goals of programmatic assessment are twofold: to increase the reliability of decisions and to promote the student’s learning process. This involves combining various data points, such as test scores, reflection reports, peer evaluations, and practical tasks, to provide feedback and track the student’s progress. The allocation of study credits is not solely dependent on individual test results.
Why Choose Programmatic Assessment?
We observe a growing number of higher education institutions opting for programmatic assessment. According to Christina Schouten, project leader of programmatic assessment at the teacher training programs at the Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, there are several reasons for this:
- Learning from Assessments: In traditional assessments, students mainly focus on the test itself, which leads to limited intrinsic motivation and learning effects. With programmatic assessment, feedback is given during ‘low-stake’ moments, allowing both students and teachers to see what the student has already mastered. This shift of focus emphasizes personal development over just passing tests, as described by Schuwirth and Van der Vleuten in 2011.
- Flexibilization and Personalized Learning: By understanding students’ developmental progress, educational institutions can offer flexible and personalized learning trajectories. Students can formulate their own learning questions, and the educational offering is adjusted to meet their needs (Schouten, 2023).
- Meaningful Education and Holistic Assessment: Programmatic assessment aligns well with meaningful education, where assessments are based on the overall picture of a student’s knowledge and skills. This aligns with the desire to provide meaningful education (Schouten, 2023).
- Quality of Assessment: Traditional assessments may be limited in scope and increase the likelihood of subjective judgment. Programmatic assessment, with diverse data points, feedback providers, and contexts, leads to more reliable judgments.
Scorion: The Portfolio Tool for Programmatic Assessment in Education
Scorion is a leading platform that supports teachers and educational institutions in implementing programmatic assessment. The platform offers a wide range of features and tools to effectively manage and facilitate the programmatic assessment process.
One of Scorion’s key features is the ability to collect and analyze various data points in one central location. Teachers can easily add feedback and evaluations for individual students, resulting in a comprehensive overview of their performance and development over time.
Scorion also enables the generation of clear reports and analyses, helping teachers and educational institutions identify trends and patterns in student performance. These insights can be used to adjust the educational offering and improve the curriculum to better meet the students’ needs. Additionally, the various data points provide valuable insights for making final assessments by decision-making committees.
Moreover, Scorion offers an intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it easy for teachers to manage and analyze data points. The platform is highly flexible and can be tailored to an educational institution’s specific vision.
In conclusion, Scorion is a powerful tool that supports teachers and educational institutions in successfully implementing programmatic assessment. With its advanced functionalities, Scorion helps realize an integrated and effective assessment and learning process that optimally supports student development.
Getting Started with Scorion and Programmatic Assessment
Implementing Scorion and starting with programmatic assessment can be done step by step. Based on experience, we know practical steps that can be taken to implement Scorion and benefit from programmatic assessment:
- Define Vision and Goals: Begin by determining the vision and goals for programmatic assessment within the educational institution. Ensure that all stakeholders, such as teachers, policymakers, and management, understand the importance and benefits of programmatic assessment.
- Design the Assessment Program: Collaborate with teachers and experts to design the assessment program. Define the test formats and assessment criteria used to measure desired competencies, learning outcomes, and/or results.
- Familiarize with Scorion: Learn about the capabilities and features of Scorion. In addition to referring to our versatile customer cases, we are happy to provide demonstrations and offer guidance on implementation. Scorion has extensive educational expertise, enabling us to assist with the translation of educational designs into a digital portfolio.
- Use Scorion for Data Collection: Implement Scorion as the central platform for data collection and assessments. Teachers can enter their feedback, evaluations, and student observations here.
- Input Data Points: Start entering student data points into Scorion. This can include feedback, assignments, projects, practical experiences, and other evaluations. The platform ensures that all data is stored systematically.
- Data Analysis and Feedback: Use Scorion to analyze data and generate reports. These analyses help identify trends and patterns in student performance and provide insights into their development.
- Implement Improvements: Use the collected data and analyses to adjust the educational offering and make improvements. Discuss the results with teachers and involve them in decision-making to continuously enhance the program.
- Consolidation and Evaluation: Regularly evaluate the use of Scorion and the effectiveness of programmatic assessment. Ensure that the process is consolidated and that the vision and goals are adhered to.
By following these steps and effectively using Scorion, educational institutions can successfully start programmatic assessment and reap the benefits it brings to the learning process and student development.
Enhance the Learning Process with Scorion and Programmatic Assessment!
Are you considering programmatic assessment and want to improve the learning process, achieve better results, and prepare students for a successful future? Contact us, and together we will bring your educational vision to life!