The German System of Practice-Oriented Assessment in VET

1. The German System of Practice-Oriented Assessment in VET Particularities, new developments, problems and contradictions Results from the German part of the QUAL-PRAXIS Project Dr. Philipp Grollmann and Dr. Roland Tutschner, Institute Technology and Education

2. Structure of the presentation 1. Traditional particularities of the German System of Practice-Oriented Assessment in VET 2. Strengths and weaknesses of the traditional system of final examinations 3. Innovations (and new tendencies) in the German VET assessment system since the late eighties 4. Recapitulating the new tendencies in the vocational assessment in Germany 5. Problems and contradictions in the context of new concepts of final examinations Dr. Philipp Grollmann and Dr. Roland Tutschner, Institute Technology and Education

3. 1. Traditional particularities of the German System of Practice-Oriented Asessment in VET • Final examinations-oriented (school reports and intermediate examinations are nearly irrelevant) • Entitlement system (‚Berechtigungswesen‘) (final examinations and not admission tests regulate access to positions in the labour market) • Standardised structure of final examinations in the dual vocational training system. Final examinations are divided into two major components, a theoretical or written examination and a practical examination. (>structure of a „traditional“ final examination) • Paradigm of „quality assurance by standardisation“ (multiple-choice-tests in the theoretical part of final examinations are considered to be objective, efficient and economic). • Chambers‘ responsibility for administration of final examinations (one result is the strong position of employers in examination boards) Dr. Philipp Grollmann and Dr. Roland Tutschner, Institute Technology and Education

4. Structure of a „traditional“ final examination in the technical trades (Scource: adapted from Schmidt 1998:19) Figure 1: Dr. Philipp Grollmann and Dr. Roland Tutschner, Institute Technology and Education

5. 2. Strengths and weaknesses of the traditional system of final examinations Strengths: • The high level of standardisation increases equal opportunities („Chancengleichheit“) • Standardisation ensures nationwide acknowledgement of VET certificates • Standardisation enables efficient and economic examinations Weaknesses: • The important role of final examinations is a risk for apprentices (results of final examination can determine the professional future/access to the labour market) • „Programmed examinations“ (e.g. multiple-choice tests) focus too exclusively on details and purely factual knowledge and don‘t have an adequate view on actual demands of the work processes • Examinations at the end of the training period prevent corrective actions in the practice of VET (C.Offe) • The strong position of employers in the examination boards enhances the enforcement of particular interests (C.Offe) Dr. Philipp Grollmann and Dr. Roland Tutschner, Institute Technology and Education

6. 3. Innovations (and new tendencies) in the German VET assessment system since the late eighties • The introduction of the model of „vocational action competence“ into the system of VET assessment took place with the reorganisation of the metalwork and electrical trades in 1987. The new training regulations stipulated that the trainee should acquire the ability of planning, exercising and controlling or reviewing his professional work indepedently. • The enactment of new training regulations for the engineering draughtsmen in 1994, made use of the simultaneous assessment of knowledge and skills for the first time („integrated examination“). This marked the first step of the replacement of the single framework recommended by BIBB (1980) with new examination concepts. • Since about 1995 examination tasks focusing on knowledge and action competence were introduced in nearly all reorganised vocations. The examination tasks are based on three priniciples: action-orientation, process-orientation and practice-orientation. • By the establishment of the new IT occupations in 1997 the separation of theoretical knowledge and practical abilities was overcome and the idea of a holistic and workprocess oriented examination was established. (>chart) • A methodical innovation, which responds to the unsatisfactory status of the current intermediate examination, is the new instrument of „extended“ final examinations in 2004. Within this scheme, intermediate examinations are transformed into a component of the final examinations. Dr. Philipp Grollmann and Dr. Roland Tutschner, Institute Technology and Education

7. 4. Recapitulating the new tendencies in the vocational assessment in Germany In summary we can identify the four new tendencies in the German vocational assessment system: • From a standardisised assessment focusing on skills and vocational knowledge to competence-oriented and holistic assessment concepts. • The new final examination concepts are an attempt to cover the complexity of vocational tasks and occupations more adequately. • The new final examinations are more oriented towards real and holistic tasks and working processes. • With „extended“ final examinations, the status of intermediate examinations and of vocational schools is enhanced. Dr. Philipp Grollmann and Dr. Roland Tutschner, Institute Technology and Education

8. Structure of the final examination in the new IT-occupations (Scource: adapted from Schmidt and Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung, 1998) Figure 2: Dr. Philipp Grollmann and Dr. Roland Tutschner, Institute Technology and Education

9. 5. Problems and contradictions in the context of new concepts of final examinations (Example: final examinations in the new IT professions) • New final examinations are costly in terms of time, staff and organisation. Therefore the voluntary service of examiners is a problem. • The new final examinations make high demands on professionalism of examiners. They require intensive instruction. But there is a lack of systematic instruction for examiners. • The close reference to the industrial practice and operating competencies reinforces the tension between professional and operational orientation („Beruflichkeit und Betrieblichkeit“). • Uniformity, transparency and comparability of final examinations are relativised by close relation to practice and by close orientation towards concrete operational procedures. • The orientation of final examinations towards real working processes is leading to a loss in comparibility and objectivity and also to a problem concerning the validity of assessment (e.g. documentation). Dr. Philipp Grollmann and Dr. Roland Tutschner, Institute Technology and Education