Objectiveize the Evaluation: Towards an Objective and Fair Measurement of Performance

Introduction

Evaluation is the backbone of progress in all fields. From education to business, health and public policy. In the field of education, evaluation could be defined as a set of actions, tasks by which “we delimit a program, a grain of knowledge, skills, competences... ; Achieves a performance (oral, written); and provides a grade or validation shared with an institution, with parents, or even with experts. Laurent Talbot, 2023 It is an estimate by a score of a modality or criterion considered in a behavior or in a product. But this process is not always free of subjectivity.

Evaluation makes it possible to: Measure; Use a measuring instrument, use a quantitative parameter, and be in the realm of precision and certainty. Estimate; Formulate a judgment, take a look at the quality of something. It focuses not on knowledge and knowledge, but on skills and competencies that integrate learning and knowledge. So it's not a question of telling yourself that the answer is right or wrong, but how do you arrive at the correct answer? How does the learner reason to solve a particular problem? This is the principle advocated in 2004 by Gérard Scallon who insists on the importance of mobilizing several resources that the learner has previously in his or her personal repertoire as well as those that are external and that he or she must call upon in complete autonomy for the accomplishment of complex tasks or the treatment of problem-situations. The more an apprenticeship is accompanied by evaluative practices, the more effective it is and the more it leads to a better return.

From century to century, teaching/learning undergoes endless innovations and changes; approaches, strategies and objectives. At the beginning of the^20th century, “the democratization of education”, marked in particular in the work of Dewey with his book “Democracy and education”, was born with the public school, to an ethical society that offers the conditions and opportunities for fulfilment for all individuals “It is precisely in the process of educating each individual – which is the essence of society – that the possibility of creating new, constantly renewed and better adapted forms of living together is at stake” (Linteau, 2018) and the need for everyone to follow an education and to have access to the school that had as its objective; preparing all learners for the world of tomorrow, to equip them with soft skills that will enable them to flourish as professional profiles and managers.

Inthe same perspective, we speak today of the “objectification of evaluation” or “objective evaluation” which allows any evaluator to measure competence objectively away from any subjectivity or any other social, political or even personal factor.

According to Marc Romainville, the objectification of evaluation refers to efforts to make an evaluation as far away from subjectivity as possible, despite its inevitable presence. It is therefore necessary to recognize the legitimacy of evaluators while minimizing subjective biases. This concept is addressed in a variety of fields, including education, research, and evaluation psychology.

In the field of education, the objectification of evaluation is a key factor. “It's important to clearly and precisely define what you want to assess, whether it's a level of culture, capabilities or knowledge.” (Charles Hadji, 1992). According to Dominique Odry in his book Evaluation in the Education System in 2020, the objective is therefore to provide accurate information to optimize educational action by allowing educators to adjust their action accordingly. The current evaluative practices that are subject to grading (summative and certifying evaluation) led us to question ourselves.