How to evaluate student performance?

Learning processes require new perspectives on performance monitoring.

It would definitely not be coherent to innovate in the teaching method, migrating to the approach of cases, and continue with an evaluation based on tests (which still presuppose right vs. wrong answers).

For this reason, I emphasize that the use of the case method requires an evaluation system that is coherent .

Coherence occurs as students can practice the analysis and debate of cases. It is interesting that this occurs at individual and collective levels, that is, that the student can analyze and form opinions. Then, in a second step, elaborate with a group, exposing ideas and opinions. With these two steps, it is possible to achieve the best that case studies can offer in the training of students: analytical skills and communication skills.

In my classroom experience, the evaluation of performance in case-based classes was the most effort-intensive point on my part (and still requires it today). Every semester I review, test new ways of evaluating and maintaining coherence throughout the process.

From this experience, I currently adopt a mix between the following activities:

• Individual analyses: these activities are short texts that students produce in response to a question in the case that will be discussed in the next class. This raises the degree of individual preparation for better use when it comes to the collective.

Whenever there is the possibility, I suggest as an excellent practice, offering the possibility for the student to review his answer after the debate. In this way, the participant is invited to reflect again on what he or she thought, adding new points of view and elements to the answer he or she had written. This for me is one of the points that most reveals learning as a process and the need for continuous reflection, and that we are not looking for the right answers, but rather evidence to support the analyses.

• Scored activities in which students choose cases (on a free case basis) to present to their peers. This activity is valuable because it provides learning to deal with the sources of cases and reveals the interests of those students. They present the cases to the class with a short oral analysis.
• Technical visit activities in order to write a case collectively: this was one of the best activities I have ever done with my classes. We visited a company, investigated data, talked to managers, and as a result, students wrote a case as a final product in wiki format. When they concluded the analysis, a company manager visited the class to discuss the proposals. One of the cases produced like this was Bxblue, which can be found here .
• Finally, as a final work, I request the group analysis of a selected case. Sometimes, I pre-select the case and the whole class focuses on it (which allows for more in-depth debates and with a greater presence of contradictories, which is very interesting). Other times, I suggest that students choose a case to analyze (which allows for greater openness to the new and updating of the cases discussed). This is a possibility of evaluation, even for classes that do not have all their dynamics based on cases, but that can take advantage of them to gather conceptual aspects and application.

I hope these ideas help you, teacher, to add teaching cases to your teaching-learning processes. And may this movement generate a positive wave of exchanges with its students.