Adopting the Pedagogy of Trust and Its Impact on Learning

Abstract

In this work, we present the results of our attempts to transit into a trust-based assessment environment for adult learners. The impact of utilizing an honour system of assessment throughout a course on data structures and algorithm design has been evaluated. The students' performance has been compared with the performance of students from two previous cohorts that appeared for the same assessments in an invigilated environment. We found that the performance variation between the test cohort and the reference cohorts was not significant with adult learners, who are more focused on learning the concepts to hone specific skills for applicability at their workplace. With further evidence of this promising initial step, we could evolve into a larger portfolio-based education framework in which students can showcase their competence and skills through a collection of projects and assessments (formative and summative), to help with their career growth. Establishing such pedagogies will help our students step out of their comfort zone, undertake exploratory studies, be willing to unearth their vulnerabilities, and work to improve their shortcomings to help them advance their careers.