Profan - Process indicators: from explaining successful work on tasks to formative assessment

The Profan project will focus on using process data to predict successful work on tasks in the domains of complex problem solving and reading of digital texts. To this end, data from a computer-based assessment for PISA 2012 will be examined. Suitable indicators will be built to demonstrate which particular processes of the two competence domains are not sufficiently mastered by students who failed or only partially succeeded in solving the tasks. The indicators will subsequently be checked for their appropriateness regarding the explanation of differences in the achievement of students from distinct sociodemographic groups. . Based on the information thus gained, a prototypical formative assessment item will finally be developed for each of the two domains.

The project is run in cooperation with Goethe-University Frankfurt (Prof. Dr. J. Naumann, Project Coordinator) and the University of Luxembourg  (Prof. Dr. S. Greiff). It is structured into two parts representing the domains investigated. At DIPF, the Centre for Technology Based Assessment (TBA) will focus on complex problem solving.

Objectives

1. Process-related difficulties in working on tasks in the domains of complex problem solving and reading of digital texts will be identified.

2. Achievement differences between sociodemographic groups of students will be probed to find out whether they can be explained by the use of different strategies in working on the tasks.

3. Based on the information thus generated, an item for a formative assessment will be prototypically developed for each of the two competence domains.

Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

Co-operation: Goethe-University Frankfurt, University of Luxembourg

Duration: 11/2015 – 10/2017

Status: running

Contact: Frank Goldhammer, Beate Eichmann