Teaching and Assessing Soft Skills - MASS - Measuring and ...

A slight variation of the criteria applies for the third group. These are hairdressers who want
to be accepted for further training; therefore their goal was not immediate employment.
Concerning students’ retention, comparison with the results from previous years and the
averages of the College performed. This will give an objective measurement of the quality of
the programme, within Angus College context of operations.
Apart from students’ retention and comment analysis, progress judged based on the
suggested MASS measurement methodology (see below).
To qualitatively evaluate students’ satisfaction, comment analysis was performed.
MASS suggested measurement methodology
MASS suggested measurement methodology (see Learning Byte 1, p. 200) comprise two
rubrics, one for students’ self-assessment and one for their evaluation from the tutors. A
grade, in a 4-pointl scale, is given against each soft skill each week, by students themselves.
The tutors also evaluate each student separately, following the same procedure.
Additionally, students may give open form explanations, concerning their improvement, or
lack of it. Only the UK pilot actually used this grading system, however it reports that it puts
too much burden on the tutors. The rest of the partners found it inconvenient.
GR
For the assessment of MASS courses results, three measures were used by the GR partners:
LEQ-H questionnaire (see below),
Active student participation, as reported from the teachers and students
themselves,
Students’ and teachers’ satisfaction.
In Second Chance School of Neapolis, Thessaloniki, the assessment method that is used is a
qualitative one. Students are given their assessment twice a year, separately for each
subject, in a qualitative form, judging active participation, collaboration within the class with
students and teachers, progress made concerning knowledge skills and competencies and
giving hints for improvement. Thus the students are used to a kind of qualitative
assessment.
Use of LEQ-H questionnaire resulted as an experiment to introduce a psychometric selfassessment
culture in the school and to evaluate the appropriateness of the particular test
in the MASS context.
The qualitative assessment, concerning active participation and satisfaction, were
performed through interviews with tutors and some students, after the end of the course.
The LEQ-H questionnaire was given to both the experimental and control group before the
beginning and after the end of the course. A control group was used in order to eliminate
the influences from the participation in the school, irrespective of MASS courses.
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