Rainer Bremer Andreas Saniter PIMSS — Approaches towards a Qualitative Ranked Measuring of Competencies in LSA

LSA –Main Ideas –Consequences PIMSS –Methodology –Chosen Results Agenda

Curriculum Based Items Validation by experts –Fairness –Validity LSA – Main Ideas

One single learning pathway Levels defined by items No analysis of wrong answers –No development theory LSA - Consequences

Ordinarily the rating of a multiple choice test applies two categories: 1 choice is »right«, 3 (o. 4) »wrong«. Discrimination simply between »right« or »wrong«. We discriminate in a triple way: –»okay« ─ »all day theory« ─ »absurd« Tried operationNo operation Wrong

Starting Point We don’t focus on the amount or quantity of the acquired knowledge of the school leavers (age around 16), but on the ability to operate with their knowledge on unknown tasks and problems. This should meet the specific demands of VET: Any vocational training needs in the beginning a kind of a precondition to be fulfilled. We call this the operationality of knowledge. To test this we have developed 24 tasks. The test was performed at 4 Bremen vocational schools with probands. Included were all students who changed into the 1st class of a vocational track.

Example of a task

Summary All the knowledge needed belongs to the lower level of school‘s subjects (i. e. percentage operations) The leading question of our research we can answer this way: Wherever we find something like a literacy we found the hierarchies of the selective school system as well. Knowledge seems to be bound to school’s purposes and is not yet available for operations in different contexts. Hypothesis: the gap between the general curricula and the individually elaborated competencies at the end of general education will be closed by vocational learning – VET will be the repair shop of general education (cf. Barbara Stalder).

Conclusions The theory of VET needs a different methodology of measuring. It will be not a question to fix a point of the competence development, but to understand its course. To understand competence development especially in its typical courses, problems und deficits will lead to those misconceptions, which hinder the apprentices to perform well. To know such misconceptions and to understand their role in competence development will strongly help to improve teaching and training in VET.