Jean Cardinet

The Generalisability of an Individual's Progress

Abstract Instruction cannot be really personalised, as long as assessment remains norm‐referenced. Whereas psychometrics aims at differentiating the performances of individuals at a given moment, edumetrics aims at differentiating stages of learning for a given individual. The structure of the two projects is the same and generalisability theory offers symmetrical formulae for estimating the reliability of each of these measurement designs. An example is presented in this paper which shows that satisfactory reliability can be obtained in an edumetric situation, where the between‐pupils variance is completely ignored. Even though the absolute error variance is the same in both cases, the relative error variances and hence the standard errors of measurement are different. As the true score variances are also different, the edumetric properties of a test should be considered alongside its psychometric ones. Certification of progress by the teacher, supporting a portfolio of achievement, could even have a sum...

L’evaluation en classe: Mesure ou dialogue?

RésuméLes propositions des psychologues pour améliorer l’évaluation scolaire aboutissent à la création de tests pédagogiques ou d’échelles de développement. Pour l’évaluation formative en classe, les besoins des enseignants semblent différents. Ce n’est pas une mesure qu’ils recherchent, mais une information qualitative, de type diagnostique, qui suggère des hypothèses de travail sur les démarches correctives à utiliser. Il est rare que l’information concernant un élève permette de le situer sur une échelle de progression continue, parce que l’apprentissage n’est justement pas linéaire. L’évaluation en classe est bien davantage à considérer comme un processus de communication entre maître et élèves, aboutissant à la suite d’un nombre d’interactions imprédictible à l’atteinte de l’objectif pédagogique. Comme la psychologie sociale expérimentale l’a récemment démontré, cette maîtrise n’est pas une caractéristique propre de l’élève, mais le résultat de son adaptation à sa situation sociale. Toute généralisation à partir de cette évaluation risque donc d’être abusive.AbstractProposals by psychologists to improve educational measurement lead to the construction of tests or of scales of development. For the assessment of pupils’ productions in the classroom, teachers seem to have other needs. Precise measurement is not required; what is wanted instead is qualitative information of a diagnostic nature, suggesting possible ways for doing remedial work. Information concerning one pupil rarely permits locating his position on a continuous scale of development, since learning does not proceed linearly. Assessment in the classroom should rather be considered as a communication process between teacher and pupils, leading after an unpredictable number of interactions, to a state of mastery of the educational objective. As experimental social psychology recently demonstrated, this mastery is not to be conceived as a personal characteristic of the pupil, but as the result of his adaptation to his social situation. Consequently, generalizing on the basis of this assessment is hazardous.

The Use of Profiles for Differential Classification

IN personnel psychology, &dquo;classification&dquo; is the name given to the procedure by which several candidates are simultaneously assigned among several jobs. It differs from selection in that (a) it considers all the jobs at the same time, and (b) it does not necessarily imply the rejection of some percentage of the applicants. It differs from vocational guidance or placement in that the interest of the organization as a whole rather than that of one individual is under consideration.

Le réseau des centres de recherche pédagogique de Suisse romande

RésuméLa nécessité de gérer la coordination de systèmes scolaires indépendants a conduit la Suisse romande à développer la recherche «évaluative». L’article présente cette approche particulière des sciences de l’éducation, en soulignant l’intérêt d’une démarche coopérative et multi-disciplinaire. Il illustre le rôle joué par ces recherches dans l’adaptation continue de l’enseignement, mais aussi leur apport possible à une recherche plus fondamentale.AbstractThe necessity of coordinating independent school systems has led French-speaking Switzerland to develop so-called «evaluative» research. This article presents this particular branch of education science, stressing the value of a cooperative and multi-disciplinary approach. The role of such research in the ongoing adaptation of teaching methods, as well as its possible contribution to more fundamental research, is illustrated.

Analysis of Intellectual Performance

Everyone knows of the existence of intelligence tests. This is, in fact, the only aspect of applied psychology that is familiar to the general public. However, not so many people know that these tests have been the object of protracted studies and are integrated into a highly mathematized conceptual system. Our intention is to give a summary outline of this area of research which attempts to analyze man’s performance, particularly in the area of the intellect.