Assessing competences

In the following document for the European Union, the authors found that most of the Member States had formulated or were in the process of implementing policies that would move their school systems from being predominantly input led and subject oriented towards curricula which include competence, cross-curricular activities, active and individual learning, as well as a focus on learning outcomes.

This is exactly what Curriculum for Excellence is about. It has shifted from a knowledge based curriculum to a curriculum with a plethora of experiences and outcomes as its destination for pupils. It is not what you know which counts, but, more often than not, what you can demonstrate. That may be for behaviours as non-academic as: showing empathy, participating in group discussions or getting active in the local community. (That might be worth bearing in mind when we reflect on Michael Russell`s conversations with children around the country. Community participation will be rewarded.)

Competence based education is another name for this type of curriculum.

The following paper explores the intricacies and difficulties of competence-based assessment. "(The) European commission had itself found that, in comparison with subject knowledge and skills, the challenge of assessing key competences across the curriculum was acute and ongoing. (European commission, 2010)"

Assessing, not only knowledge and skills, but also attitudes is essential according to EU requirements. It is not until the following paragraph that there is any hint as to why assessing competences should be so important: "The specification of learning outcomes so that they can be assessed is central to the competence-based assessment literature relating to vocational education and originating in the USA in the 1970s. (Wolf, 2001) The emphasis is generally on identifying competence for economic roles but could caste more broadly to encompass social and civic roles too."

Now we can see why `grit` and `tenacity`have such value. When your education destines you for the worker drone class, assessment decides whether or not you will have a job at all. "In a review for the OECD, Looney (2011) reports that performance-based assessments can include tasks such as presentations, group work and projects. To this list might be added portfolios, reflective diaries, role plays and interviews."" 　

http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/school/doc/keyreview_en.pdf

Global Storylines and CfE (Scotland)

The above programme encourages children to learn through role play and drama.

Global Storylines is about affective learning we are informed. "The drama is the emotional driver through which pupils are motivated because the experience really matters to them. Learning through the affective domain provokes feelings, attitudes, values and enthusiasms...There are many opportunities for assessing deep learning which go beyond the acquisition of knowledge and embrace understanding and the application of skills, values and attitudes.

http://www.globalstorylines.org.uk/impact

Peruse the website and it all may seem like innocent fun but in the context of what the EU has in mind, to provoke children`s feelings, attitudes, values and enthusiasms, in order to manipulate and assess them as persons and their future economic or civic roles, is actually a cynical piece of social engineering.