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Self assessment

In social psychology, self-assessment is the process of looking at oneself in order to assess aspects that are important to one’s identity. It is one of the motives that drive self-evaluation, along with self-verification and self-enhancement. Sedikides (1993) suggests that the self-assessment motive will prompt people to seek information to confirm their uncertain self-concept rather than their certain self-concept and at the same time people use self-assessment to enhance their certainty of their own self-knowledge.

However, the self-assessment motive could be seen as quite different from the other two self-evaluation motives. Unlike the other two motives through self-assessment people are interested in the accuracy of their current self view, rather than improving their self-view. This makes self-assessment the only self-evaluative motive that may cause a person’s self-esteem to be damaged.

So if through self-assessing there is a possibility that a person’s self-concept, or self-esteem is going to be damaged why would this be a motive of self-evaluation, surely it would be better to only self-verify and self-enhance and not to risk damaging self-esteem? Trope suggests in his chapter « Self-Enhancement and Self Assessment in Achievement Behaviour » that self-assessment is a way in which self-esteem can be enhanced in the future. For example self-assessment may mean that in the short-term self-assessment may cause harm to a person’s self-concept through realising that they may not have achieved as highly as they may like; however in the long term this may mean that they work harder in order to achieve greater things in the future, and as a result their self-esteem would be enhanced further than where it had been before self-assessment.

Within the self-evaluation motives however there are some interesting interactions. Self-assessment is found a lot of the time to be associated with self-enhancement as the two motives seem to contradict each other with opposing aims; whereas the motive to self-assess sees it as important to ensure that the self-concept is accurate the motive to self-enhance sees it as important to boost the self-concept in order to protect it from any negative feedback.

Self assessment :

• Learning all the life
• Learning to know
• The formal education system
• Learning to do
• Vocational learning
• Learning to live together
• Learning for social cohesion
• Learning to be
• Learning as personal growth

8 keys competences :
1) Communication in the mother tongue, which is the ability to express and interpret concepts, thoughts, feelings, facts and opinions in both oral and written form (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and to interact linguistically in an appropriate and creative way in a full range of societal and cultural contexts.

2) Communication in foreign languages, which involves, in addition to the main skill dimensions of communication in the mother tongue, mediation and intercultural understanding. The level of proficiency depends on several factors and the capacity for listening, speaking, reading and writing.

3) Mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology. Mathematical competence is the ability to develop and apply mathematical thinking in order to solve a range of problems in everyday situations, with the emphasis being placed on process, activity and knowledge. Basic competences in science and technology refer to the mastery, use and application of knowledge and methodologies that explain the natural world. These involve an understanding of the changes caused by human activity and the responsibility of each individual as a citizen.

4) Digital competence involves the confident and critical use of information society technology (IST) and thus basic skills in information and communication technology (ICT).

5) Learning to learn is related to learning, the ability to pursue and organise one’s own learning, either individually or in groups, in accordance with one’s own needs, and awareness of methods and opportunities.

6) Social and civic competences. Social competence refers to personal, interpersonal and intercultural competence and all forms of behaviour that equip individuals to participate in an effective and constructive way in social and working life. It is linked to personal and social well-being. An understanding of codes of conduct and customs in the different environments in which individuals operate is essential. Civic competence, and particularly knowledge of social and political concepts and structures (democracy, justice, equality, citizenship and civil rights), equips individuals to engage in active and democratic participation.

7) Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship is the ability to turn ideas into action. It involves creativity, innovation and risk-taking, as well as the ability to plan and manage projects in order to achieve objectives. The individual is aware of the context of his/her work and is able to seize opportunities that arise. It is the foundation for acquiring more specific skills and knowledge needed by those establishing or contributing to social or commercial activity. This should include awareness of ethical values and promote good governance.;

8) Cultural awareness and expression, which involves appreciation of the importance of the creative expression of ideas, experiences and emotions in a range of media (music, performing arts, literature and the visual arts).
These key competences are all interdependent, and the emphasis in each case is on critical thinking, creativity, initiative, problem solving, risk assessment, decision taking and constructive management of feelings.

The self-assessment process

1) The user, in a first step, is asked to choose one to start the self-assessment of key competence performance with, from the list of 8 key competences of Lifelong Learning named by the European Commission (2007);

2) In a next step five generic situations are presented, each one describing a situation in which the chosen key competence is performed in a common setting. Each of the five situations corresponding to the following five levels of mastery: Level 1 can do when guided (in known situations),Level 2 can do, can choose (in known situations),Level 3 can combine, can design (also in unknown situations),Level 4 can improve, can extend, Level 5 can explain.

3) Five different clusters of the chosen key competence are presented. These clusters are well grounded in Vintage research considering projects and publications throughout European countries and Framework.[10] After deciding for a cluster the user is presented a situation in which the key competence in the chosen domain is performed. Again situations, meant to be broad enough to apply to many common experiences, yet specific enough to identify what a performance in a certain key competence and domain requires, meant to refer to daily life settings, support the user in the reflective abilities to relate own experiences and performances to the described situations.

4) the user is asked to note and reflect upon own experiences and collect these in the Vintage portfolio as documentation of personal key competence experiences to be used in further development or to be included in e.g. the European CV (Cedefop/European Commission 2004). Amongst others this stresses the importance and relevance of lifelong learning, be it in formal, non-formal or in-formal settings.[11]

5) The quality of the performance is, consequently to the premises of self-assessment, evaluated by the user himself, ranking personal performances on the following four dimensions of qualities:
1. Reflective
2. Autonomous
3. Self-directed – Self-regulated
4. Effective
The four quality dimensions thereby refer to themes such as critical thinking, creativity, initiative, problem-solving, risk assessment, decision-taking and constructive management of feelings.

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