Developing training content of self-assessment skill to learning outcomes for students in education major

JOURNAL OF SCIENCE OF HNUE DOI: 10.18173/2354-1075.2016-0221 Educational Sci., 2016, Vol. 61, No. 11, pp. 99-104 This paper is available online at DEVELOPING TRAINING CONTENT OF SELF-ASSESSMENT SKILL TO LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS IN EDUCATION MAJOR Duong Thi Thuy Ha Institute of Education Research, Hanoi National University of Education Abstract. The paper presents a scientific basis to determine the training content of self-assessment on academic outcomes of students in education major including: understanding self-assessment to learning outcomes, defining goals, assessing by themselves and making plan and its implementation... Keywords: Skill, self-assessment, skill practicing, evaluation, self-assessment on learning outcomes. 1. Introduction Tran Thi Tuyet Oanh [9] has systemized the terminology and concepts, principles, methods, techniques and contents of self-assessment in education. She mentioned the self-assessment like a terminology and concepts, and stated that it, a form of prediction (diagnosis), is a common form of formative assessment-evaluation. Dao Lan Huong [10] studied on theoretical and practical basis of self-evaluation of students learning attitude, tested and confirmed ways to enhance self- evaluation to appropriate attitudes of students during learning Mathematics. In the study, she found that there are differences in self-evaluating of the attitudes about Maths among various students with diverse learning outcomes. The issues of assessment, self-assessment in education and teaching process have taken much more interests by researchers. They referred to different aspects of self-assessment such as from the learner’s self-reflection, theories of self-assessment models, some techniques for self-assessment, the most common principles on assessment as well as the principles of ensuring consistency between assessment and self-assessment; the role of self-assessment in education... with a variety of subjects. However, there is no longer research which studies on the content to develop the skill of self-assessment to learning outcomes for students in education major. Developing training content on self-assessment skill in students major in education have an important role, which helps lecturers provide their students’ skill of self-assessment, in addition students could evaluate their level of knowledge, skill by themselves, then to adjust their learning processes to meet the learning goals and learning tasks. Practicing their self-assessment skills helps the future teachers to know how to evaluate students as well as to instruct the self-assessment procedures for their students. That is a requirement of teachers in general education to provide instruction to their students to make their self-assessment. In this research, we focus on developing Received date: 10/11/2016. Published date: 15/12/2016. Contact: Duong Thi Thuy Ha, e-mail: duongha108@gmail.com 99 Duong Thi Thuy Ha those contents which build self-assessment skill to learning outcomes for students in education major. 2. Content According to Bui Thi Hanh Lam [1], Self-assessment skill is considered as the ability to perfom an activity by using one’s knowledge, experiences to identify the levels of acoupuired knowledge, skills in comparision to learning objectives. Theoretically, self-assessment on learning outcomes is a part of the assessment process and belongs to formative assessment. However, it can also be a feature of summative assessment in some cases. On the other hand, this is an activity of self- reflections of learners on what they have learned, how to learn better... Skill refers to an ability to complete a task effectively, based on earlier knowledge and experiences in the specific conditions. As we defined, "Self-assessment of students to learning outcomes is a process in which subjects are evaluated the extent of their achievement by comparing to their own objectives of lessons (including a system of standards, criteria); Then, they make their plans to self-regulate behavior and learning activities aimed at improving academic achievements to reach their goals and so on". From the above concepts, we suggested the definition of the skill of the self-assessment on learning outcomes for students major in education as follows: Skill of self-assessment to learning outcomes is a competency of students in education major when they perform a task or series of activities within their knowledge and experiences to determine the level of their knowledge and skills compared to proposed criteria/ standards/objectives/lessons/ subjects... Then, they are considering themselves and making plans how to learn and practice... to attain the proposed goals as well as have appropriate manners and performances by themselves to reach excellent level. From the teaching perspective onhow to provide cognitive skill instruction to learners, skill of self-assessment on learning outcomes referred to the ability to perform atask or certain activities within their knowledge and experiences to compare their knowledge and skill level to previously proposed system of criteria/ standards /objectives /lessons/subjects..... Since then, the structure of self-assessment skill to learning outcomes is determined and included the following components: gathering information and skill of analyzing, sub-skill of comparing to objectives or standards regulated by themselves or others, sub-skill of identifying personal strengths and weaknesses; Proposing some solutions to improve the existing situations of learning outcomes. In summary, self-assessment skill to learning outcomes is considered in relation to assessment and instructional activities, which is a feature of assessment that is learners adjust effectively learning process and also of self-learning and lifelong learning. 2.1. Baseline to select content of self-assessment skill to learning outcomes of students in education major Skill on how to self-assessment learning outcomes is a complex structure of skills consisting of many sub-skills. Therefore, it should select sub-skills based on structure of activity organization, structure of educational activities, and procedure to self- assessment on learning outcomes. Structure of activity organization According to L. I. Umanxki, an effective or ineffective teamwork depends much on ability 100 Developing training content of self-assessment skill to learning outcomes for students... of organizers. Activity organization is a process in which involve people into a task that has been planned in advance. The implementation will be effective if we take use of all the facilities and materials. Thus, L.I. Umanxki suggested a general structure to organize activities including 9 steps: Mastering duties; Identifying ability of each member; Identifying conditions and facilities for organization; Planning; assigning tasks; Buildingup mutual relations; Establishing relations through cooperation; Completing tasks; and Assessing [11]. These are the most common steps for different types of activities. Order of the steps also needs to be flexible that could be integrated or changed in specific conditions. Thus, structure of L.I.Umanxki on performance regarded to fundamentally theoretical basis for learning skills to educational activity performance. Structure of educational activities Studies on structure of educational activities always get much attention from educational science field. In the point of view as teachers are whom coordinate, organize, control, instruct and monitor learners, so that any activity organization should be followed as: Awareness activities relate to acquire knowledge of activities such as its target, means and conditions, how to deal with these activities. Designing activities refer to plan optimally process of task performance. Prepared activities regard the selection and arrangement of the duties before its performances. Communication activities refer to build inter-relationship among members during the task implementation process. Organized Activities aim at performing tasks with the designed methods and contents, sequences. Separating elements of structure of educational activity allows us to examine each specific steps in one activity. Then, it helps us not only have a good overview of teaching activities, but also recognize the close relationship and interaction among elements of an activity [5]. Process of activity organization for self-assessment on learning outcomes To gain the goals, taking steps seems to be a process of activity coordination. Process is specifically clarified with direct influences to make the work effective and timely. Therefore, it gets much more attention from scientists who study the process or procedure of activity organization. 2.2. Content of self-assessment skill to learning outcomes Perspective on how to provide cognitive skills instruction to learners showed that self-assessment skill is understood as an ability to perform a task or a series of tasks within their knowledge and experiences to identify level of knowledge and skill through compared to proposed system of criteria / standards / objectives / lessons / subjects ...... we thought that to improve self-assessment skill to learning outcomes for student in education major effectively, it needs to train students with basic skills sorted by groups of sub-skills based on an analysis of the content selection to provide self-assessment skill instruction on students’ learning outcomes associated with researches on assessment, self-assessment. Group of cognitive skills on self-assessment of learning outcomes Cognitive skill is a significant component of skillful structure. Any activities must have their requirements, methods and conditions. A skillful person who is usually aware of requirements and coordination methods, could work effectively. Therefore, mastering purposes, requirements, methods of organizing an activity and characteristics of participants are essential conditions to build those skills. Without this component we can not build skill of self-assessment. 101 Duong Thi Thuy Ha Cognitive skills on assessment and self-assessment on learning outcomes have brought an overview of learners to academic achievements and future works and its meaning for their improvement and development in the future. Those skills allow learners to actively access the resources, expand their knowledge about contents related to their lessons or courses ... It probably helps lecturers coordinate to self-assessment activities of learners transparently and not only based on their experiences. Cognitive skills on self-assessment of learning outcomes should be built for students in education major consist of 2 sub-ones as: + Learning about assessment and self-assessment of learning outcomes. + Gathering and analyzing information. Skills to define goals Skill to defining goals is a person’s ability to set out certain targets of life such as mastery, a specific task, or an attitude ... in a specific circumstance or a certain time. Setting goals help students carry out a task by a clear, actual plan that we scheduled. The more specific objectives are, the better students attain the achievement. Goal is what students want to reach or gain in the future. Skill to set goals helps students live with purpose and well–preparation, well-orientation and well-planning for their study to attain their targets. Learners clarify specific and realistic goals by using their skill. The feasible objectives consistent with their own circumstances and learners should recognize some advantages and difficulties ahead and make schedule for completing the task. In some difficult cases, learners need to find supports and the most important thing that learners should make efforts to attain our goals. Commitment to reach the goals required students to pursue their goals until to the end, and also to improve and adjust objectives by certain circumstances. Commitment to achievement is important skill for not only learners but also for whom graduate and become teachers in future life. Skill of setting goal includes 2 sub-ones: + Compare to objectives and standards. + Identify their strengths and weaknesses by themselves. Group of implementing skills of self-assessment of learning outcomes These important skills are crucial to an effective implementation. A well-prepared and reasonable plan is the condition to effective implement. For some reasons if steps of implementation process is not well-prepared will make previous steps become worthless. Moreover, no matter how a plan is well-prepared it is not fully consistent with the reality. Thus, applying theory into practice is the mission of implementing skill. Learners who practice those implementing skills on self-assessment to learning outcomes have competency of well-instruction to their students to participate in activities in a professional order in the future. Learners could address difficult situations inflexible, creative and proactive manners. During practicing those skills, learners also gain essential characteristics of one teacher such as self-control, self-responsibility, flexible and sensitive, care for students... Especially, learners could overcome their limitations of being timid, shy, machinery, conservative ... Group of skills to implement self-assessment on learning outcomes includes: + Sub-skill to provide instruction to students to assess their learning outcomes / self-learning outcomes by themselves 102 Developing training content of self-assessment skill to learning outcomes for students... + Sub-skill to solve some situations arising in teaching Group of skills oneself-evaluating their schedule and its implementation Those skills provide instructions to students to create their schedules (daily- weekly, monthly or annual). It helps students recognize whether they comply with their schedule, how effectiveness of their implementation, what adjustment should be done... Based on those skills, learners could review objectively the whole process of working, identify their strengths and weaknesses in the processes, determine causes of consequences then adjust the next steps. Assessment skills are used to plan learners’ self-learning and training. Practicing those skills also improve learners’ confidence, create their optimism, be a motivation for them to study. Group of skills on self-assessment of their schedule and its implementation includes 2 sub-skills: + Create schedule and implementing. + Review their experiences on how to self-assessment of learning outcomes / recommend some solutions to improve self-assessment of learning outcomes. 3. Conclusion Developing training contentonself-assessment skill for students major in education has an important role, which helps lecturers provide their students’ skill of self-assessment, in addition, students could evaluate their level of knowledge, skill by themselves, then to adjust their learning processes to meet the learning goals and learning tasks. Training contenton self-assessment skill of learning outcomes provides a group of complex structure of sub-skills. Therefore it should be based on structure of organization, structure of educational activity and procedures of practicing the general skills and specific skills of self-assessment on learning outcomes to determine sub-skills of group of the skill on self-assessment for students in education major. Training content onself-assessment skill for students in education major should be applied flexibly into each subject, educational activity and specific situations. In addition to general skill above on how to self-assess learning outcomes, lecturers should add some more skills to train students accordingly to the characteristics of regions and localities. REFERENCES [1] Bui Thi Hanh Lam, 2008. Theory of self-assessment in teaching. Journal of Education, (196), pp 21-24. [2] Duong Thi Thuy Ha, 2014. Practicing skill of self-assessment of educational competency for students in education major (4th year) based on output standard. Code: SPHN14-402 VNCSP. [3] Nguyen Canh Toan, 2001. 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