Abstract
This exploratory case study focused on fostering meaning making of assessment criteria and standards at the module level and the course/programme level (the entire study plan), and the role of self-regulation in this meaning making process. The research questions that guided this study are: (1) How can students’ meaning making of assessment criteria at the module level be fostered, (2) How can students’ meaning making of assessment criteria at the programme level be fostered, and (3) How can self-regulation contribute to students’ meaning making process? We explored the design and implementation of a rather new Master’s programme in The Netherlands: The Master’s Expert Teacher of Vocational Education (METVE). Interviews with three developers, three teachers, and ten students of the METVE were analyzed. For each research question, several themes were derived from the data. Results indicate that meaning making takes place at the module level by using holistic assessment criteria and evaluative experiences, which allow students to make choices within the boundaries set by the assessment criteria. Meaning making at the programme level is experienced as much more difficult by students as well as teachers. The design of the METVE programme fosters meaning making at the programme level, but METVE teachers also express difficulties supporting this. Finally, we found that students perceive self-regulation as something extra for which they don’t have enough time. Self-regulation at the programme level was not explicitly addressed and supported in the METVE, which makes it more difficult for some students to steer their learning process towards the role they are aiming for in professional practice after completing the Master’s programme.
Highlights
Higher education aims to build a foundation for professionals in later work settings and social settings
If the above pictures professional practice and what is expected from students in later work settings, what are the implications for assessment and the transparency of assessment criteria? Assessment criteria are often shared with students to communicate expectations and stimulate student performance in the “intended” direction, mainly at the module level
The research questions that guided this exploratory case study focused on fostering meaning making of assessment criteria at the module level and the programme level, and the role of selfregulation in this meaning making process
Summary
Higher education aims to build a foundation for professionals in later work settings and social settings. The specification of learning outcomes, and standards (the attainment levels) may be desirable in terms of transparency, but an unintended consequence may be to portray to students the idea that learning outcomes are a given (something done to them) and that good work means to work toward criteria set by others (Boud and Falchikov, 2006). If the above pictures professional practice and what is expected from students in later work settings, what are the implications for assessment and the transparency of assessment criteria? Selfregulation refers to self-generated thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that are oriented to attaining goals (Zimmerman, 2000, 2002), which may concern the task level, the module level, the programme level as well as a lifelong learning perspective
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