ISCAR International Congress 2014 Sydney The type of assessment is essential to operationalize the curriculum Eva Brustad Dalland Norway.

ISCAR International Congress 2014Sydney

The type of assessment is essential to operationalize the curriculum

Eva Brustad DallandNorway

The driving test in a holistic perspective – An intervention study (Dalland 2014).

About the type of assessment in the driving test (to get the driving license).

About the tensions that arises when the curriculum and the type of assessment in the

driving test are rooted in different pedagogical perspectives.

The intervention study is rooted in the cultural-historical activity theory.

The culture:

We want to take care of the human health in the road traffic

”A Vision Zero”

FATALITIES

INJURIES

• Self-knowledge• Risk understanding• Responsibility

• Dialogue• Discussions• Reflections• Log book• Self-assessment / formative asessment

The learner shell develop a competence to drive in a responsible way.

A curriculum for driver education given by the Directorate of public road

? ?

The driving test is still a standardized test

The examiners’ tools:

Observing the actions

Register on a paper

- convert the drivers action into symbolic numbers

Counting and measurement

Assessment is a complex activity; the type of assessment influences the practice of the curriculum and the learning process (Black & Wiliam, 2006; Hattie, 2003; Messick, 1988; Shepard, 2000; Smith, 2009).

When new concepts for learning have been developed, there is often a delay as the assessment is designed to be in harmony with the previous learning concept (Dysthe, 2008).

• The Driving Test in Norway today has a design adjusted to the curriculum in 1980s.

The type of assessment is powerful

Construct validity

The type of assessment has to be rooted in the same theoretical perspective as

the curriculum ( Messick, 1989; Shepard,2000; Smith, 2009).

The construct of the test must not be defined too narrow, so it does not represent

what it ought to do.

Persons, who design the test, have to be conscious about the primary intentions

and the role of the assessment when they select working methods and

assessment tools

(Messick, 1989, 1998).

Summative

assessment

Distance between

candidate and

examiner

Assessment as

a control

PositivistConstructivist

Different perspectives

Formative assessment

Involving the learner

The learner is active in the assessment

Assessment for and as learning

Driving test Curriculum

ArtefactsTools

The dialogue as a tool

DevisionRolesEducationAssessment

Community

RulesA new curriculumGovernment paperNew rules

Subjects:TeachersLearners

ExaminersResearcher

Object:The driving

test

Main Research Question

How can the Driving test be developed and conducted so that the

assessment will be in harmony with the educational perspective and

the intentions in the existing curriculum for driver education?

An intervention research study

A project together with 8 examiners in the Public Road Administration

4. Examining thenewmodel

5. Implementingthenewmodel

6. Reflecting on the process

7. Consolidatingthenewpractice

Asking newquestions

3. Modelling the new solution

1. Questioning-disharmony, tensions

2. Historical analysisActual empirical analysis

Selvvalgt strekning

Risikooppfattelse

Reflections

Self-assessment

Selecteddistance

Risk understanding

The Expansive Learning cycle (Engeström in Engeström, Miettinen & Punamäki,2006, p 384).

Qualitative assessment (Sadler, 1989).

Formative intentions.The result is based on several sourses.Dialogue and multiple criteria are important tools. 

In the project:

We developed and tried out how to use the dialogue as a tool in the assessment in the

driving test, and how to involve the candidates in the assessment.

The examiner asked open questions to get knowledge about the candidates self-

assessment, risk-understanding, reflections.

Self-assessment

StopTask: reflection; self-assessment

A distance-task: Think aloud

”2-3 flexi-tasks”Examiner can ask open questions

The candidate chooses where to drive

An assessment dialogue

with self-assessment

Data:

Observation: 20 reel driving tests + interviewing the candidates

173 answered questionares (the rest of the candidates)

Recording and notes from the workshops

The examiners’ logbooks

Interviews with 6 of the examiners at the end of the project

[email protected] 14

Analyses:

Inspired of The constant comparative method of analysis (Strauss & Corbin, 1998 ).

Now you get a task: Think aloud about what influence your choices.

“Now I will keep an extra - large distance with the car in front of me, because the heavy vehicle behind me is too close, so I can give him more time if I have to

brake “

Risk understanding: - Willingness to drive in a responsible way, to interact and take care of the other road users

The examiner:

There is a great difference when we talk about the

quality. One says something about the road signs, and

the other one gives class comments in relation to risk

understanding

(Peter, in log-book, 16.04. 2009).

Findings related to the task : «Thinking aloud»

Some of the driving teachers started to use this method when they

knew that the candidate should do a driving test in the project.

Some of the candidates were not used to this method at the driving

school.

Some candidates said that they tried to do commentary driving at

home together with their parents, after reading about the type of the

assessment in the project

Key findings

The tools, developed and tried out in the project, led to a better basis for the

examiner to do a holistic assessment of the candidates’ competence as

drivers.

The examiners became more certain about the assessment, especially when the

candidates were close to the limit.

The candidates trusted the examiners’ assessments, and accepted and understood

the results.

The candidates felt they were involved in this type of driving test.

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Key findings

Both the examiners and the candidates said it was important to do an assessment dialogue including

clarifications and feed forward.

New tools and working methods in the driving test influenced the teaching in the driving lessons and the driving

practice at home.

The way we did the driving test in the project requires that the examiners have a good assessment competence.

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The research indicates

• We ought to see the driving test as an activity that

should operationalize the curriculum and its intentions.

• The public authorities ought to dare to use qualitative

assessment in the driving test, and these new working

methods, to support road safety work.

• In this way the driving test can be a contribution to reach

the Vision Zero in our community.