Automatic tools for analysis and reading of RAVs

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Perazzolo, M. (2019). Strumenti automatici a sostegno della lettura dei RAV. In Lucisano, P. & Notti, A. M. (eds.), Training actions and evaluation processes. Atti del Convegno Internazionale SIRD (pp. 265-272). Pensa Multimedia.

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This paper discuss some results from a PHD doctoral dissertation investigating the RAV (School Self-Evaluation Report), the instrument used in the UE-Founded Project PON VALES by 290 schools in 2013. VALES format for RAV is the prior version of the current tool adopted by the National Evaluation System.

We analyzed the texts written by the schools in response to the open ended questions in the format, with the aim of studying the use of data and indicators for self-evaluation. For the study we have selected some theoretical references on the feedback systems in the schools (Coe and Visscher, 2002; OECD, 2013). The organization of the analyses is in accordance to the Knowledge Discovery in Databases (KDD) and Text Mining (TM) perspective. With the support of computerized methods for the extraction of specific groups of words, we investigated emergent themes, both in specific areas and transversely at the corpus level, exploiting new ways for reading data and contents and going beyond the traditional content analysis by manual coding.

The results show that the indicators have been used at an high level and that schools have taken up the challenge of comparison in a free and non-formal way. Most schools confronted their situation with the suggested indicators and stimuli. Looking at the contents, on the contrary, the difficulties and needs of schools emerge. Many of the issues and needs relate to the field of evaluation/self-evaluation and its strategic role. Evaluation emerges as an important issue, both as a reflection to improve the internal functioning of schools, and as a specialist tool to support a better knowledge on students and their evaluation. The thematic weakness of the schools could represent a starting point for improvement initiatives, through collaboration between schools and other institution, as required by the 2013 Presidential Decree n. 80 (Regulation on the National System of Evaluation whit regard to Instruction and Vocational Education).

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ISBN 978-88-6760-634-4

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