Educational Evaluation

Objectives

1. To discuss the use of different evaluation paradigms in the study of educational issues, reflecting on the complexity of the evaluation process, its utility and the factors that influence it.

2. To comment on policies and literature on educational evaluation.

3. To analyze assessment practices in different fields, identifying their models and procedures.

4. To design evaluating strategies, enhancing the sense of its objectives, functions and instruments.

Program

1.Concepts of evaluation
2. Functions of evaluation
3. Evaluation models
4. Ideology and sets of criteria
5. Evaluation tools
6. Logic and justice in evaluation

Teaching Methodologies

The teaching methodologies are: dialogical exposition by the teacher; accomplishment, in pairs or small groups, of short tasks with latter discuss with the whole class; description or design, by the students, of evaluative practices; sharing of experiences; and seminars. Students are graded on the basis of two elements: 1) seminar on a subject, including empirical data and an evaluation project; 2) one of the following possibilities: a) a comment on a text, to be held in class; b) analysis of evaluative situations; c) replies to five questions about educational evaluation, initially formulated by the students; d) written test of evaluation. At the beginning of the course, each student decides, in a written record, the weight to be given to these two elements of assessment, based on minimum and maximum values set by the teacher (between 50% and 80% for the first element). One of these elements is necessarily individual.

Bibliography

1. Figari, G. (1996). Avaliar: que referencial? Porto: Porto Editora.
2. Formosinho, J.; Machado, J. & Oliveira-Formosinho, J. (2010). Formação, desempenho e avaliação de professores. Mangualde: Pedago.
3. Hopkins, D. (2007). Every school a great school. New York: Open University Press/ McGraw-Hill.
4.House, E. R. & Howe, K. R. (2001). Valores en evaluación e investigación social. Madrid: Morata.
5. Kellaghan, T.; Stufflebeam, D., L. & Wingate, L. A. (Eds.) (2003). International handbook of educational evaluation. Boston: Kluver Academic Publishers.
6. Serpa, M.S.D. (2010). Compreender a avaliação. Lisboa: Colibri.