Scorion

The Scorion platform is well suited for a programmatic approach. Programmatic testing can be seen as a form of testing, but it is more of a vision. A vision is being applied more and more by educational institutions in university and higher education, and recently also in secondary education. Prof. Cees van der Vleuten started with the idea about 20 years ago, and at this moment, this educational concept is embraced worldwide in various forms of education. The concept can be seen as a key to the feedback culture.

At the origin of this concept is the fact, that a single assessment cannot tell much about how a student is developing. After all, students learn different skills and competencies during their education, which cannot be summarized in one test.

In programmatic testing, many student learning moments are tracked and recorded as data points. The decision about whether someone is competent or not depends on many small and large learning moments rather than one final test. These moments often consist of feedback, which students and professionals receive on the performed tasks. The more learning moments that are known about a person, the better the picture of their learning. These learning moments can be of a more voluntary (formative) nature or a more evaluative or mandatory nature (summative).(bron: Cees van der Vleuten)

Scorion is used by many educational institutions that have introduced Programmatic Testing because many assessment forms can be integrated into Scorion in the form format. This way, students and professionals can easily ask for feedback or fill out forms digitally. All learning moments are stored in Scorion and merged into a clear overview that shows the learning progress at a glance.

In 2005 the first development of the Scorion platform started. One of the first projects was a Surf project executed together with Hogeschool Utrecht and Saxion. There a test model was developed based on the ZelCom method. With this method, detailed data was stored. And that, in turn, led to an enormous amount of administration for teachers. Therefore, it soon became clear that this would never work without digital support. In the Surf project DINK (Doorstromen in de keten) the first variant was developed of what later became known as programmatic testing, the term coined by Prof. Cees van der Vleuten.

Scorion’s purpose is to support students and institutions. The data that is stored exclusively serves this purpose. The recorded data stored in Scorion belongs to the educational institution and the student. Since this may involve sensitive and personal data, users need to trust that it will be handled properly and is safe. Scorion has been concerned with data security since its inception because it is in the organization’s DNA. For a few years, Scorion was one of the first education systems that are ISO:27001 and NEN:7510 certified. We have summarized all information about this on this page.

The latest version of Scorion is complete ‘device-independent. So it doesn’t matter if you use a smartphone, a tablet or laptop, or a desktop computer.

When implementing programmatic testing, many ‘data points’ are recorded. There is a risk that assessors and supervisors become ‘irritated’ from all the administration. The software must support the learning process and not disrupt it. Therefore, smart applications that are easy to use and manage are essential. Scorion works with different modules that make measuring the learning process as easy as possible. The new ‘Feedforward app’, for example. With it, students, professionals, and supervisors can easily leave feedback that is stored as text.

So it’s not primarily about technology but education. And this is also reflected in our organization, half of which consists of technicians and the other half of education people. If an educational institution wants to work with Scorion, we will always first look together at how this can best be achieved. The basis has to be right so that an institution does not find out later that it has made the wrong choices. For the many learning moments that are recorded, this must be done with the right test or feedback instruments and methods. If this is not done properly at the source, it is difficult to recover afterward. Learning moments recorded in Scorion are very diverse. These can range from self-reflection or feedback, but can also be a more complex OSCE (station test), a short practice assessment (KPB) 360-feedback, peer feedback, or other reflections and conversations. All these moments are often recorded and structured according to models such as competencies, CANmeds, EPAs, learning objectives, core tasks, or other concepts.

These are measured with different scaling methods of supervision, Likert scales, or Stanines. This interplay of methods ensures that, in the end, you have a good picture on a dashboard and can, therefore, properly assess how you or someone else is doing. Students and professionals can then see at a glance how they are performing in different areas. The dashboards, therefore, also differ from one educational program to another. It is also possible to use different educational concepts interchangeably and implement multiple dashboards.

This results in large projects and often long-term partnerships between educational institutions and Parantion. The past few years have shown that this approach fits exactly with the restructuring of education.

An implementation of Scorion is somewhat different than purchasing a tool. The Scorion team, together with the institution, looks at how this can best be achieved. To this end, an implementation process diagram has been drawn up based on years of experience. The scheme consists of 13 components that are implemented step by step. Often educational institutions themselves already have a good idea of what needs to be done. Especially if there is already a well-thought-out concept, an implementation can be realized in a few months. It is, therefore, more a case of introducing an educational concept and a new curriculum than a new software system. For some institutions, it means a different way of working. Institutions in which teachers, assessors, test developers, and supervisors are closely involved in the implementation are often the most successful. After implementation, when changes are made, it is important to ensure that the chosen methods and structure are well preserved.

The Scorion platform is being further developed uniquely. There are four tracks: roadmap, specific trajectories, innovations, and modernization. The roadmap is determined together with users. Twice a year, all key users come together to determine the ‘roadmap’ for the following period. As an institution, you, therefore, influence what is developed.

If an institution has a specific request for the development of a particular function, this is possible to provide in line with the (broad) educational vision behind Scorion. For example, the OSCE module was recently developed in close cooperation with the Erasmus University Medical Center and a hand-in module with the University of Groningen. All functionality that is developed is always made available to all other institutes. And this is one of the unique features of how Scorion is being further developed.

The third track is innovation. About 10 new concepts are created each year. This can be something very innovative, abstract, or a concrete question that solves a particular problem. Sometimes we look 10 years ahead. These concepts are developed by students in a kind of lab as a prototype. In the following period, the concepts that we or users consider valuable are further developed into a first product version and tested. If it turns out to be a success, the feature will be included in Scorion.

Finally, Scorion is permanently modernized and technical functional improvements are added. These topics are often added to the roadmap by the Scorion development team.