Self-Assessment: An Important Process in e-Training A Study Case

Abstract

This chapter discusses the concept of training as a process that entails a lifelong learning perspective, especially when it involves e-learning and online activities. Training is a complex process involving cognitive, affective, social, and cultural components. The evaluation of training outcomes is especially challenging. We stress the relevance of self-assessment in the context of the Workshop for Observing Children at School, an experience of e-training at the University of Macerata. In the formative design phase, it seems significant to plan for teachers sharing with participants their evaluation criteria. We show the differences, in terms of curricular results, between versions of the same online course. In the first version, we did not share the assessment criteria with participants, instead we gave that information at the end of the course; in the second, we dedicated a special time to the activity of building assessment criteria as one of the required tasks; in the third version, we asked student to construct a list of criteria to assess the required and then to negotiate their list with ours. The analysis of the three versions of the Workshop shows some differences in the outcomes; it is possible to argue that self-assessment is relevant to e-training effectiveness. © 2010 Springer-Verlag US.