Evaluative Strategies in Adult Education

Abstract

Structural changes in post-revolutionary Romanian society require affirmation of adult education as a prerequisite for harmonious integration and development on the socio-professional plan. If in the past, the adult education was specific to academic environment, nowadays this educational term covers most social groups as a consequence of the ability of human beings to be educated. It can be said that the process of education occurs during the adult's life, based on their learning needs and in correspondence with the adult's psychological features. In the message Declaration of the First National Conference regarding adult education, Timisoara 2001, it's stated that “it is necessary to recognize adult education as a national priority, as part of the national education system” (Sava, 2001: 194). An important role in adult education is played by the access to the latest information from the social, cultural and professional domains, as a premise for skills development at individual level but also macro-economical level, for the society progress based on knowledge. Learning can be performed in specialized institutions through courses, training programs and/or e-learning platform which are completed by an official diploma certifying a particular professional qualification. Improving the quality of evaluation trough training programs for adults require the identification of evaluation strategies that highlight correctly the skills acquired by the students. This article aims to identify the main evaluation strategies used in adult education from teacher-trainers’ perspective in order to optimize courses’ design and development for adults. The paper is structured in four chapters, as follows: the first chapter outlines general characteristics of adult assessment activity. The second chapter presents various conceptual approaches in the literature on assessment strategies used in courses for adults. The third chapter presents the authors contribution to the dynamics of educational policy elements of Romania relating to adult education The fourth chapter highlights the conclusions drawn from the proposed study.