A Guide for the design and implementation of a service-learning (SL)

CHAPTER I CHAPTER II

CHAPTER III

CHAPTER IV CHAPTER V

EARLY COURSE ASSESSMENT

Assessment instruments for transversal skills

When incorporating the SL methodology in a course, we necessarily seek to develop attitudinal and/or value-based objectives that are directly related to the development of transversal skills associated with the methodology, such as social commitment, problem solving, critical thinking, teamwork, among others. Chapter IV of this manual presents a series of instruments that assess the development of these skills, as an example and as a useful tool in case it is necessary to assess some of the aforementioned skills .

During the course development, it is recommended to take the SL Early Course Assessment (SL ETC), a survey conducted by the Centro de Desarrollo Docente (See Web page). The SL ETC corresponds to a tool that seeks to support professors in improving the implementation of their courses in a timely manner, with the objective that they can implement improvements considering the opinion of their students regarding the main strengths and weaknesses of their methodological strategies. In addition to the above, commitments are established that must be acquired for future versions. The implementation takes place in the middle of the semester, mainly

through a face-to-face mediated modality, in order to ensure a high response rate. On the other hand, students can answer the assessment either individually or grouped in order to generate an instance of discussion and thus reaching a consensus on their opinions that will lead to concrete conclusions regarding each of the evaluation items. It is recommended that the teaching team discuss the results with their students and their alignment with the guiding principles, thus ensuring a moment of joint assessment that allows all actors to take responsibility for the changes to be implemented.

To define assessment criteria and strategies, click here.

You can also review a material developed by the Centro de Desarrollo Docente for

the elaboration of rubrics by clicking here.

To view assessment instruments for transversal skills, click here.

* It is important to establish clear criteria that are known by students in order to make the assessment process transparent so that they are aware of the level of achievement they have reached .

CHAPTER I I I : DUR I NG THE COURSE DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER I I I : DUR I NG THE COURSE DEVELOPMENT

52

53