MODELLI DI PROGETTAZIONE PEDAGOGICA E POLITICHE EDUCATIVE - METODI E TECNICHE DI VALUTAZIONE

Module METODI E TECNICHE DI VALUTAZIONE

Knowledge and comprehension skills (DD1)

• Know the main evaluation paradigms and models adopted in educational contexts and understand their specific characteristics and uses.

• Know the most commonly used evaluation methodologies, techniques, and tools and understand their advantages and limitations.

Applied knowledge and understanding (DD2)

• Ability to select and apply, appropriately and consistently to various educational objects and contexts, the paradigms, approaches, and methodologies learned to plan, monitor, and evaluate an educational project.

• Ability to identify, including through literature research, and develop simple data collection tools and evaluation indicators that are valid, reliable, and appropriate for the educational objects and contexts being evaluated.

Autonomy of judgement (DD3)

• Ability to summarize and critically discuss the differences between various paradigms and approaches to educational evaluation.

• Ability to integrate prior pedagogical knowledge and that developed in the integrated module on educational planning with the theoretical and methodological knowledge acquired during the course, in order to understand the complexity of conducting evaluation research in educational contexts and to assess opportunities and constraints.

Communication skills (DD4)

• Acquire mastery of the specific language of evaluation research in education.

• Be able to communicate, to peers or other stakeholders, including non-specialists, the main paradigms, approaches, methods, tools, and results of evaluation research.

Learning ability (DD5)

• Know how to select and use the results of evaluation research in education for professional development.

• Know how to define, plan, and promote self-evaluation of one's own professional performance and the educational and training contexts in which one may find oneself working.

The course delivery method follows a blended learning model, organised so that the majority of lessons are face-to-face, covering the first three teaching units, and with three online lessons (nine hours, equivalent to 25 per cent of the total number of hours) for the fourth unit, ‘Designing Assessment’ (see the "Detailed Course Content" section). 

This final unit, centred on learning-by-doing and collaborative learning and designed to provide guidance on drafting the assessment component of the project work (see the "Learning Assessment" section, test no. 2), will be delivered via synchronous online sessions, following a timetable and using links that will be shared via the page dedicated to the course ‘Assessment Methods and Techniques’ on the University’s e-learning platform (https://elearning.unict.it/course/view.php?id=73778), to which all course participants, whether attending in person or not, must enrol.

The page will, in fact, be used both as a repository for materials and to support teaching activities in the classroom and online, as well as for announcements and communications from the teacher.

• General knowledge of the educational-pedagogical and didactic planning.
• Basic knowledge of the main methods and tools of empirical research in education.

The course is divided into four teaching units:

I) Epistemology of educational evaluation
II) Objects of educational evaluation: contexts, processes, outcomes, impacts, systems
III) Evaluation methods and tools
IV) Designing the evaluation

The first three units are organised internally as described in the "Course Planning" section.

For unit 4, see also the "Course Structure" section and the "Learning Assessment" section (Test No. 2)

• Reference handbook: Galliani Luciano (2015) (a cura di). L’agire valutativo. Brescia: Editrice La Scuola (chapters: from 1 to 5, from 7 to 10, from 12 to 15, from 17 to 19).
• Kirkpatrick, D. L. (1979). Techniques for evaluating training programs. Training and Development Journal, 33, pp. 78-92. [Disponibile online: assets.td.org/m/4a306d561507658e/original/TECHNIQUES-FOR-EVALUATING-TRAINING-PROGRAMS.pdf]
• Kirkpatrick, D. L., & Kirkpatrick, W. K. (2022). An Introduction to The New World Kirkpatrick® Model. Kirkpatrick Partners. [Disponibile online: Introduction-to-The-New-World-Kirkpatrick®-Model.pdf]
• Teacher's notes provided by the teacher in electronic format.

Teacher's notes and further study and practice materials will be made available on the dedicated course on the new e-learning platform of UniCT: https://elearning.unict.it 

Assessment for this module involves passing the three tests described below, two of which (the 2nd and 3rd) are shared with the other module "Models of Pedagogical Design and Educational Policies", and will therefore be assessed jointly by the two teachers.

1. Individual written test with closed questions on the textbooks suggested for this module.
   [Incidence on the final grade of the module: 50%]
   To facilitate students' study, test 1 will be held once before the end of the course, on the date communicated to students in class and on MsTeams. Students who are absent or fail this exam may retake it on the dates scheduled for subsequent exam sessions, except for the one immediately following (1st session).
   
   
2. Project work: design an educative project, including evaluative aspects (shared with the other module: single submission). 
   [Incidence on the final grade of the module: 50%]
   Assignment 2 is the same for both modules of the integrated course and must be completed in small groups, in accordance with the thematic guidelines and format to be provided by the teachers, and must be submitted via the  form page available on the e-learning platform for this module (https://elearning.unict.it/course/view.php?id=73778), within the timeframes communicated to students via the same channel and scheduled well in advance of each examination session. The assessment will be marked by the teacher, for the part relating to this module (the evaluation plan of the eduational project), using an assessment rubric which will be shared on the aforementioned web page dedicated to the course. The rubric is structured through four levels of descriptive assessment (corresponding to the score ranges 15-18/30, 19-22/30, 23-26/30, 27-30/30) for each of the five criteria used: adequacy of the diagnostic evaluation; formulation of indicators; external consistency (between the project and the evaluation plan); structure and internal consistency of the evaluation plan; and supporting documentation.
3. Oral discussion on the project presented, the feedback and the assessment received (shared with the other module: single interview).
   [The discussion does not award an independent score but serves to integrate the assessment of test 2]
   The discussion must be held in a single examination session with the module "Models of Pedagogical Design and Educational Policies" and it can be supported either with one of the two teachers of the integrated course.

Passing tests 1 and 2 is a prerequisite for admission to discussion.

The final assessment of the integrated course is made jointly with the teacher responsible for the module "Models of Pedagogical Design and Educational Policies", therefore the final grade for the integrated course is unique.

Non-attending students may contact directly the teacher for clarification about the course and the esaminations. 

Students with disabilities or with certified Specific Learning Difficulties (SLD) are entitled to specific support services and reasonable adjustments to teaching and assessment. To this end, students must contact the CINAP (Centro per l'Integrazione Attiva e Partecipata) at the University of Catania in advance, agreeing with the teacher and the Centre on the most suitable and personalised arrangements for carrying out their study activities and sitting examinations.

Erasmus students may agree with the teacher on a specific examination programme, and alternative handsbook and modes of assessment.