Do you remember the tension and stress surrounding exams? Those trembling hands, that dry mouth... That no longer has to be the case. Testing does not have to cause anxiety, but can instead serve as a driver for growth and development. The key question, however, is: how do we achieve this? Could programmatic testing be the answer? The disadvantage of isolated evaluation moments Traditional assessment and examination methods are often the subject of debate. Take, for example, the paradigm of short-term, isolated evaluation moments. Such snapshots offer only a fragmentary view of a student's actual competences. candidate, while the impact on their professional careers can be enormous. Is sixty minutes of testing sufficient to predict the future success of a professional? That seems an unlikely task. An alternative approach: programmatic testing There is an alternative that has been gaining attention in recent years: programmatic testing. This method is not only about knowledge transfer, but also about the candidate's growth, development and self-awareness. What does programmatic testing entail? Programmatic assessment involves monitoring the candidate over a certain period of time and charting his or her progress. It emphasises feedback and learning, rather than just a final assessment. It also helps candidates to steer their own learning process. Tips for implementing programmatic testing Implementing programmatic testing can present certain challenges. Keep these tips in mind. Make clear agreements about the requirements and the measurement moments. It is important that candidates understand that this method does not mean that they must be ‘always alert’. Carefully guide candidates during their learning process, but also when gathering information about their learning outcomes. Discuss interim results to promote learning. Providing feedback and creating a safe learning environment are essential in this regard. The separation of roles is just like with traditional assessment important. It is important that candidates know who is assessing them and who is guiding them in their learning process. The complexity and challenges Although programmatic testing has great potential to change the way we learn (and test), it also presents a number of challenges. First of all, it is very time-consuming for both candidates and assessors, because they are constantly engaged in the cycle of giving and receiving feedback. In addition, introducing this method of assessment is no easy task; it requires significant changes to the traditional method of assessment. Finally, programmatic assessment generates an enormous amount of data. In order to properly understand and use all this information, it is important that you are able to handle data analysis.
