Self and participative evaluative activities

Abstract

The aim of this seminar is to examine and explore evaluative practices in Higher Education (HE) through examples from a number of European countries with a view to improving the understanding of the role of evaluation at different levels and to encourage dialogue between the actors involved. By 'evaluative practice' we mean any activities associated with the way value or worth is attributed to what Higher Education does. This can range from the regulation of national and institutional systems of HE to small scale developmental reflection within small groups of teachers and learners.

This focus is pertinent and topical in that a range of new challenges and issues confront the sector within Europe including the Bologna reform in HE; HE responding to changes in and demands from society; changes in perspectives on learning throughout life - shift in balance between initial training and on-going training and learning; evolution in the approach to evaluation including changes in attitude to learner evaluation, certification programmes and institutional accountability. The meeting will be structured around four sessions with an introductory talk to present the ideas behind the meeting. The four themes correspond to a model of HE evaluative practice which identifies four dimensions or 'sites' for evaluation within a social policy area; theses are:

- Systemic evaluative practice: system level evaluation practice related to regulatory issues (in particular in relation to how society sees HE and how HE responds to those demands (research excellence, teaching quality etc); - Programmatic evaluative practice: evaluation of specific programmes or interventions to effect change in HE (e.g. in the UK the initiation of Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning) - Institutional evaluative practice: associated with the routine evaluation of internal processes and mechanisms (e.g. quality programmes, reviews, appraisals, internal monitoring, evaluation of teaching, -_); - Self and participative evaluative activities: the creation of a climate to encourage such continuous reflective practices, (e.g. teaching portfolio, self-evaluation,-_).

Each of these four themes will be presented through a critical analysis of concrete examples followed by a discussion with participants.