The German System of PracticeOriented Assessment in VET

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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

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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

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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. (gtstructure 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)

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Structure of a traditional final examination in
the technical trades (Scource adapted from
Schmidt 199819)

• Figure 1

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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 dont 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)

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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. (gtchart)
• 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.

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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.

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Structure of the final examination in the new
IT-occupations (Scource adapted from Schmidt
and Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung, 1998)

• Figure 2

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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).