This is it! Your student has finalized all their deliverables, mastered their subject, and can answer all the questions you ask them. They are now ready to plan their project assessment. 🥳 Still, they’re feeling nervous about this test, and they’re afraid that nothing will go as planned!
So how can you help them? The first thing you can do is prepare them for the assessment itself, and after they’ve finished the assessment, you can share your insights. That’s what we’ll be exploring together in this chapter! 😃
Identify the Stakes of the Project Assessment
The project assessment is used to evaluate the skills a student has acquired during a project. In the education field, this is also called summative assessment. By comparing the student’s skills acquisition to a standard (our assessment criteria), the project assessment ensures that they’re evaluated according to one framework that’s the same for everyone.
To earn their diploma at the end of their training, students must pass the project assessment for every project in their path. That means the stakes of their success are high. This could feel like a lot of pressure, which doesn’t always make for a productive learning environment.
Prepare Your Student for the Project Assessment
Of course, reassurance isn't always enough to alleviate a (potentially) stressful situation. That’s just the first step. The next thing you can do is help your student get ready.
Things to Check Before the Project Assessment
To help them prepare for their assessment, advise your student to make sure of the following:
they know their deliverables and can explain the choices they’ve made and the steps they’ve followed.
they’ve read and understood what’s expected of them in the Project Assessment section of the project brief (if there are sample questions, the student can answer them).
they’ve polished their presentation in both form and content.
if you haven’t had time to do a mock assessment during one of your mentoring sessions, they’ve practiced out loud and recorded themselves to identify what could be improved.
Tools for Preparing for the Oral Presentation
Generally, there are many ways of preparing for an oral presentation. Communication is a skill in and of itself—not everyone feels at ease speaking in public.
Stress management is another key element of giving a successful presentation on the day. Again, you can help them with this:
Reassure your student by reminding them of the good work they’ve done. Tell them they’re ready, plain and simple. Go back over the deliverables they’ll be presenting. Your opinion counts, since you have the expertise and experience the student is looking for. This will boost their confidence and reduce their stress.
If needed, recommend breathing exercises or meditation to help calm their nerves.
Share Your Insights After the Project Assessment
As you may already know, a project assessment has two possible outcomes:
All (or almost all) assessment criteria have been met for the skills evaluated.
The project was validated and the assessment was a success! 🥳 In this case, there’s often a tendency to move right on to the next project, nose to the grindstone. But then you’d be neglecting to properly recognize the student’s accomplishment. Don’t forget to celebrate their success! This is important for their motivation, and to show them how far they’ve come.
It can sometimes happen that a project assessment is validated under the condition that the student must redo a few of the deliverables within 48 hours. That’s still a reason to celebrate!
The assessment criteria have not been met for all skills
The project is not validated, and the student must re-do their project assessment and take the assessment again. As I told you in the previous chapter, we learn by making mistakes. If a project assessment is not validated, it’s usually for a good reason, and it’s in your student’s best interest. As a mentor, I’m sure you understand this aspect of the learning process, but for your student, it’s obviously more difficult.
Sharing your insights after the project assessment lets you take stock of your student’s work and progress. But it’s also a great way to establish a plan for going forward and boost your student’s motivation!
What if I don’t agree with the assessor’s feedback? What should I do?
Take Advice from Experienced Mentors
Listen to some advice from Mike and Joy based on their experience as mentors:
Let’s Recap!
To support your student with their project assessment:
Reassure them by discussing the purpose of the project assessment.
Offer support in other areas relating to the assessment, such as public speaking and stress management.
Don’t forget to do the post-assessment debriefing and share your own insights.
In this course, we learned how you can:
help your student get organized
make them an active learner
keep them motivated
establish their baseline skills for each project
track their progress throughout their training
help them tackle the project assessment with confidence
Awesome work, well done! 🥳
And don’t forget—now that you have these tools and techniques, make them your own and adapt them to your mentoring practice!
