Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
The Interview Protocol
the times a PDP is not an instrument used within
the APL procedure. However, the content of the
PDP might be the basis for the self-assessment and
after the APL procedure, the PDP can be used to
record the results of APL and encourage learners
to formulate new goals. Webbased PDPs have the
possibility to share information with colleagues,
tutors, executives or customers. An example of
such a PDP is Personal Development Planner Web
client V2.0 (Georgiev, 2009).
The interview protocol is the leading scheme for
the criterion-based interview with APL candidates
that takes place after the portfolio assessment.
A criterion-based interview aims at assessing a
combination of skills, knowledge, behavior and
personal qualities by means of questions related to
specific examples of how the candidate behaved
in different situations. This information is gath-
ered and weighed against a criterion. The basic
information for assessors for this interview is the
portfolio. Assessors should be trained because the
interview involves several complex aspects. The
assessor has to interpret the portfolio in a correct
way before the start of the interview. During the
interview, the assessor has to manage the time and
has to evaluate constantly whether he or she gets
all the information necessary for the competence
assessment of the candidate. In this phase, the
use of standard evaluation questions that steer
the interview into the desired direction is desir-
able. These kinds of protocols can be re-used by
colleague assessors.
Scoring Rubrics and Scoring Forms
The assessment phase of the APL procedure in-
volves a complex task for assessors. Due to the
diversity of evidence and descriptive, qualitative
nature of the evidence, the assessment can be
influence by the assessor's subjectivity, which
negatively influences the reliability of the APL
procedure. To increase reliability, assessors need
to use scoring rubrics during the assessment phase.
Providing assessors with scoring rubrics and scor-
ing forms can support them in the assessment of
the diverse portfolios. Scoring rubrics include
one or more criteria on which performance (as
presented by the evidence) is rated and a rating
scale or levels for each criterion. Descriptors and
examples are provided to illustrate the criteria.
The levels of each criterion are illustrated by ex-
amples. The criteria and levels are derived from
the competence profiles. Scoring rubrics and forms
not only make the assessment more reliable and
easier, but also increases its transparency.
A specific specification for rubrics is given
by IMS Rubric (2004). The Rubric specification
deals with the assessment of a portfolio, no other
assessment types are addressed. In case docu-
ments in the portfolio have to be assessed, the
use of Latent Semantic Analysis techniques may
facilitate this process (Van Bruggen et al., 2004)
APL Certificate
Finally, the results of the assessment (i.e. the can-
didate's competence level), has to be described in
a non-educational language, which increases the
use of the certificate for other than educational
purposes. Agreements upon the format used for
APL certificates will enhance its societal accep-
tance, value and applications.
The development of thorough e-instruments
for APL is a good step in the direction of reuse.
However, it is important to have a digital learn-
ing infrastructure in which these instruments are
easy to use in combination with each other. In line
with the reasoning on steps to be taken after the
process of APL, the e-infrastructure is the basis
to transfer the outcomes of the APL.
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