Assessment of Learning LO16548

Winfried Dressler (winfried.dressler@voith.de)
Thu, 15 Jan 1998 11:07:12 +0100

Replying to LO16546 --

Rick asked:
> What are the important questions about assessment?

One important question would be: How does the process of assessment or
measurement influence what has been assessed or measured?

In designing an assessment of learning, one must ensure first, that high
performance teams will keep high performance teams. I don't think that
this is trivial, because of the underlying beliefs, models, values of
CONTROL, which may not be expressed explicitly, but which are felt
implicitely by those assessed.

Ask yourself: Why do managers ask for assessment of learning?

What results would make them to take action, if they do not find the
results in their own inner experience?

Senge is not so convincing by the empirical evidence but by the inner
resonance of those who read his work and compare with their experiences
and dreams. I understood Senge as meditating regularily - he knows about
the inner world.

An assessment should be designed that way, that it enables to overcome
fear. This is usually not done by facts and figures. Correlations can give
only hints on where causal relationships may exist. Where these
relationships are known but defeated, additional measurement won't help.

This goes down to the fundamental question: What is needed to fill the
hearts of todays business managers with love and a caring attitude?

Last question: Has the conference to do with justifying the work of the
Society for Organizational Learning within the frame of
empirical-scientific paradigma? May be this is necessary in todays world,
but you will feel the conflict.

I am wondering how your approach will be.

Best Regards, Winfried

-- 

Winfried.Dressler@voith.de

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