National Tempus / Erasmus+
Office in Ukraine

Project IB_JEP-24141-2003 "TRUE ASSESSMENT - Distance Learning Network for Teachers (TRAST)"

Duration: September 2004 – August  2007

Project budget: EUR 662020 (amount granted – EUR 449170)

Funded by: European Commission, Tempus III

Project was implemented by:

• University Roma Tre (Italy)
• CDELL, School of Education, University of Nottingham (UK)

National implementing partners and beneficiaries:

• Testing Board of Professional Competence Assessment
  
• Central In-Service Teachers’ Training Institute of the Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine
  
• Ukrainian Association of School Heads
• Distance Learning Center, National Academy for Public Administration, Office of the President of Ukraine
  

Project goal an objectives:

Goal: 3-year project “True Assessment – Distance learning network for teachers” aimed at the introduction of modern assessment methods and techniques in everyday practice in schools, colleges, and universities by exposing educators (classroom teachers and their administrative supervisors) to new knowledge and practices in educational assessment.

Objectives: 2 specific objectives enabled the achievement of this goal:

1)      Introduction of courses on educational assessment for educators within the system of compulsory in-service teacher training.

2)      Functioning of information and consultative web portal “True assessment”

3)      Launching of the Thematic Distance Learning Network “True Assessment” (DLN “TRAST”) for educators. Thematic Distance Learning Network “TRAST” is a group of interested individuals from partner institutions and beyond who will promote the ideas of educational assessment in Ukraine. In future we hope that the DLN “TRAST” team will become the nucleus of the Ukrainian Association for Educational Assessment.

Thematic Distance Learning Network “TRAST” is a group of interested individuals from partner institutions and beyond who promote the ideas of educational assessment in Ukraine. The functions of DLN “TRAST” are viewed as:

• Educational – provision of distance learning courses, leading tailored seminars on request.
• Informational – preparing printed and electronic publications, provision of consultancy services, providing information on world events and existing resources in educational assessment, maintenance of a database on frequently asked questions and consulted topics.
• Networking – with Ukrainian and international entities and individuals in the area of assessment: establishing Ukrainian association of educational assessment, organisation of, and participation in, Ukrainian and international conferences, joining international associations, collaboration with interested Ukrainian entities in educational assessment projects, providing Ukrainian educators with appropriate means of communication devoted to educational assessment, informing the State about educational assessment needs, participating in state activities on educational assessment.

Project achievements: facts and figures

Actions of partner institutions:

Summer school 2005 "Bases of educational assessment" (41participants; main target – course approbation, training of the first-generation tutors and trainers)

Summer school 2006 (52 participants; a primary target was an analysis of educational assessment courses, training of teachers for development of manuals on subject assessment)

Expert conference on standardization of assessment, 2006, Nottingham (22 participants; a primary target was a decision-making considering develop­ment of norms and standards for Ukraine n educational assessment)

Round table "Collaboration in educational assessment: effort combination", 2006 (50 participants; primary purpose - to define the ways of collaboration for upgrading educational assessment in Ukraine and proper use of methods and assessment results in educational institutions)

Conference of rectors of Regional Institutes of postgraduate pedagogical education, 2005 (28 participants; primary purpose - to define the ways of introduction and teaching of educational assessment courses for teachers in service)

Target course in educational assessment at Central Institute of Postgraduate Pedagogical Education, 2006 (25 participants; a primary purpose is training of the second-generation trainers for all regional institutes of postgraduate education)

Workshops initiated by Testing Board and Publishing house "Master-class", 2005-2007 (over 300 parti­cipants; a primary purpose is propagation of principles of fair assessment and testing)

Distance course of National Academy of Public Administration «Basis of edu­cational assessment» (25 participants; a primary purpose is training of the second-generation  tutors)

Participation in conference and membership in European Association of Educational Assessment (AEA-E), 2006, Naples (12 participants; primary purpose - to present Ukrainian achievements in the context of changes in the field of assessment)

Teacher survey in relation to the problems of educational assessment before the beginning and before end of project, 2004 - 2007

Foundation of non-governmental organizations: Association of educational assessment and testing, 2007; Institute of leadership and development, 2006

International symposium "Improving and supporting the development of educational assessment practices. Ukrainian and European perspectives”, 2007 (138 registered participants; primary purpose - to present achievements of project TRAST "True Assessment" and key Ukrainian and European issues in educational assessment)

Setting up and supporting web portal www.testportal.org.ua

Actions of participating trainers, tutors and teachers:

• Regular courses, seminars and actions in educational assessment ranging from 2-hour study modules to 72-hours dedicated courses.
• Active formal and informal training of other educators; dissemination of knowledge about assessment
• Information activity: development of methodological literature
• Informing of educators and citizens of Ukraine via press and mass-media
• Change of individual assessment practice as well as of assessment practice at the level of participating educational institution
• Innovative assessment projects
• Scientific researches
• Working as experts in workings groups and in the national programs on assessment and monitoring

The combination of variety of face-to-face and distance learning courses implemented at 10 Ukrainian cities, online information and networking resources, publications and establishing of the links between people holding similar views – all these results of the project activities – have significant influence on changing assessment practices in classrooms and forming the layer of educators that are aware of potential and application of educational assessment in various contexts.

As of today the project members have become the nucleus of the Ukrainian Association for Educational Assessment established in 2007 and actively participate in a number of assessment activites in Ukraine, including the program of external standardized testing for school-leavers.

According to Emma Nardi, AEA-E President, grant-holder of Ukrainian-European TEMPUS project “True assessment” : “We believe that participation of Ukrainian educators in the project have helped them join to international circle of people who take an active interest in educational assessment, work professionally within this area or use assessment results in their job.  We hope for the project benefit for Ukrainian education and looking forward to further fruitful cooperation".

Key goal of the project accepted by the project participants was nicely put by Larysa Kaban, faculty member, Bila Tserkva, project participant: “Wishing truthfulness and fairness when you assess as well as truthfulness and fairness when you are assessed.”

Marina Mrouga,

Deputy director, Testing Board

Executive director of Association of Educational Assessment and Testing (AOOT)