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A Conceptual Framework for Authentic Competence Assessment in VET: A Logic Design Model

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Handbook of Vocational Education and Training

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Abstract

Authentic assessment of competence remains a central target of VET research; adequate measurement approaches clearly are rare though a prerequisite for accountable systems to authorize access to vocational activities, as well as for international qualification acknowledgment. The paper outlines a conceptual framework of authentic assessment as well as respective evaluation methods. Though authentic assessment is broadly discussed in scientific literature, coherent definitions and frameworks with respect to the assessment of vocational competence are scant. However, drawing on different streams of authenticity research, it can be suggested to operationalize “authentic competence assessment” by six major key characteristics:

  1. 1.

    Authentic modes of assessment

  2. 2.

    Relevant item sampling

  3. 3.

    Complexity of tasks

  4. 4.

    Staged embedding

  5. 5.

    Process orientation

  6. 6.

    Social interaction

The paper substantiates these characteristics, places them in a logic assessment model, gives practical implementation examples (commercial domain), and finally introduces adequate evaluation methods by which this framework can be accounted for.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Economic and Business Education, Vocational Training, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany

    Viola Deutscher

  2. Vocational Education and Training, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany

    Esther Winther

Authors
  1. Viola Deutscher
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  2. Esther Winther
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Viola Deutscher .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, University of Nottingham School of Education, Nottingham, UK

    Simon McGrath

  2. Education and Competence Studies Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Gelderland, The Netherlands

    Martin Mulder

  3. Faculty of Education, University of the Western Cape Faculty of Education, Bellville, South Africa

    Joy Papier

  4. School of Education, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK

    Rebecca Suart

Section Editor information

  1. No affiliation provided

    Esther Winther

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Deutscher, V., Winther, E. (2018). A Conceptual Framework for Authentic Competence Assessment in VET: A Logic Design Model. In: McGrath, S., Mulder, M., Papier, J., Suart, R. (eds) Handbook of Vocational Education and Training. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49789-1_80-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49789-1_80-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-49789-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-49789-1

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