Approaches for independent assessment of learning outcomes in Ukraine

Post added by Anatolii Garmash

What does it mean to move to independent assessment of learning outcomes?

In Ukraine, the use of independent assessment is closely associated with the external assessment of upper secondary school-leavers as one key step to enter higher education.  But where the assessment is related to confirmation that a person is qualified to work in a specific field of occupation, to certification of competence of individuals, we still need to better understand the current experience.

The recent Law of Ukraine “On Education” (2017) underlines the importance of a move towards independent assessment of learning outcomes, both for educational as well as professional (competence-based) qualifications. To clarify what it means in relation to awarding professional qualifications, the ETF is providing its support to the background study on independent assessment centres and assessment practices in Ukraine.

The brief overview on existing practices has identified several approaches to external assessment in Ukraine, including experience in:

• awarding qualifications for so-called “regulated’ professions;
• awarding qualifications by professional associations, or other entities/ centres of external assessment;
• the validation of non-formal and informal learning.

In each case, the study pays attention to the assessment standards and assessment methods. It is not just an issue of standards; it is very much linked with how they are used, and who owns them. Apart from the standards, there are also issues around the assessors or examiners, quality assurance of assessment and certification processes, as well as the accreditation of assessment centres (i.e. institutions that assess learning outcomes and award qualifications).

This brief overview has raised some important issues:

1. The use of international standards

The use of available foreign standards can be a useful source to make national standards more future-oriented and internationally comparable. It is clear that these standards cannot be used ignoring the specific national context. But in cases where international standards exist (like the seafarers, pilots, truck drivers, welding), should they be incorporated without any change?

An example of good practice is the experience of the National University “Odessa Maritime Academy” in external independent assessment of its graduates and awarding higher education degrees simultaneously with the rank of officers, where the assessment is organized and carried out in conformity with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW Code).

2. The ownership of the assessment standards

According to the current legislation on validation of non-formal and informal learning, any body wishing to acquire the status of assessment centre should develop and update the assessment criteria (assessment standard) for validating non-formal and informal learning of a particular blue-collar occupation. This raises an issue, who should be the owner of the assessment standard – an assessment body itself, a governmental authority or some other third party?

Another example is awarding qualifications by the bodies operating certification of persons. A certification body needs to comply with the ISO/IEC 17024 requirements to demonstrate it is competent to certify persons for a specific scope. Every assessment should be carried out according to the certification scheme for persons, and every assessment scheme must have a scheme owner. At the same time, a certification body may not be the scheme owner and can just implement it. This might be the case with the so-called “regulated” professions.

3. Link to the labour market

It is expected that an important share of the qualification centres will be based on existing organisations. It is obvious, that the VET school or university infrastructure can be used to carry out the independent assessment. But to what extent can the educational institution itself take up the role of an assessment centre? Can they be relevant to represent the link to the labour market? How to assure necessary quality and legitimacy of assessment, especially when the educational institution is the basis for independent assessment of its own graduates?

After completion of this study, its findings and recommendations will be the basis for further work on the development and implementation of the independent assessment system in Ukraine, based on independent qualifications centres.