Professional Tasks

Fontys University of Applied Sciences' ICT study programme wants students to experience ownership of their own studies from day one. And therefore also feel responsible for their own progress and performance. Commitment to continuous feedback ensures that students know where they stand and where the next development goal lies.

This is expressed in so-called 'pro tasks'. This involves students using an assignment to deliver a product for a (virtual) client. The professional Task is an invitation to learning based on a practical assignment. To achieve results, students will have to research certain areas of knowledge and then translate these into a working end product. Teachers provide formative feedback during the process. This gives students an interim view of their own performance and is recorded by students in the portfolio as evidence for the final assessment. During the final assessment, a comprehensive portfolio review takes place and students have to defend their work. This involves an assessment of which subject and professional skills have been demonstrated.

This form of teaching changes the teacher's role into a coaching role. Teachers are less classroom teaching, but much more guiding students in finding a solution (or the required knowledge).

This form of didactics makes assessment more flexible. During the programme, the Professional Development learning line works with an overview of the competences, which students will develop in themselves. So it may well be that students take achievements from other subjects, or even from a private project, as proof of their development.

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This text is based on https://www.ambitieplanfontysict.nl/ambitieplan-2013-2017/ambitiethemas/kwaliteit-van-toetsing/.

See also: Portfolio, Project Based Learning, Product design.