ABSTRACT
The examinations carried out in traditional training programmes aim to measure students' levels of theoretical knowledge. New pedagogical models, in particular, the Team Academy approach, focus on the improvement of skills developed during the semester. Unlike traditional exams, the aim of such evaluations is not to award a sanctioning grade, but rather to recognize progress made and to make recommendations to continue skills’ development in an optimal way during the subsequent semester. When the assessment method at the HES-SO Team Academy was designed, it began with the creation of a 360° evaluation that allows students to demonstrate their levels (classified into a scale represented by 5 levels) on 21 competences covered by the bachelor programme. Through an individual learning portfolio that outlines the different actions carried out during a semester (readings, projects, reflective articles, etc.) students can evaluate themselves on each targeted skill. For each one-day evaluation, teams of 4–5 students are formed. The first step of the assessment is the presentation of the portfolio to other team members as well as to coaches and external experts. During the second part of the morning, the students discuss and critique their evaluation among peers. In the afternoon, each student has an individual interview with the coaches of the programme and an external expert who represents the local socio-economic environment. The purpose of this interview is twofold. Firstly, to discuss the self-evaluation made by the student of his or her own portfolio. Secondly, the evaluators guide the students in defining the learning contract that will be implemented during the ensuing semester. Following the evaluation day, the jury can validate the students’ skills. This paper will present our evaluation system, which is unique within the Team Academy network, and demonstrate its relevance through various analyses and observations.
