Focus on formative evaluation
A serious impact analysis of the entire, diverse offer of Iconomix on the heterogeneous target group of teachers and learners at the Swiss upper secondary level would only be possible within the framework of a large-scale study. Such a study may one day become reality. For the moment, however, we concentrate on the evaluation of the individual teaching units:
Each Iconomix teaching unit is evaluated either in the course of its development or in the course of its revision. However, we refrain from determining the actual "effectiveness" of teaching units by means of randomized controlled trials. The reason is that the teaching units are individually adapted by the teachers to fit their own needs or those of the class. It is hence only of limited practical value if we invest a lot of time and effort in proving the effectiveness of an ideally used teaching unit.
Methods used for formative evaluation
Instead, we focus on formative evaluation as an integral part of the quality assurance process when designing new teaching units. The aim is to obtain feedback on a new teaching unit during its development in order to support its introduction and further development.
Depending on the case, different methods are used:
- For more complex teaching units, we conduct testings in class. In a typical testing in class, we support individual teachers in the use of the "beta version" of a new teaching unit in class. This is followed by a short interview or survey with the teacher on their experience with the teaching unit and a feedback survey among the learners. We are interested in questions such as: Does the new teaching unit promote the learning process? What is the relation between effort and learning gain? Are there any obstacles or pitfalls in lesson preparation or implementation? This allows us to identify and address problems that remained undiscovered during the development phase.
- Our digital educational media are reviewed by the independent evaluator Education Alliance Finland (EAF). This assessment compares the learners' activities with the learning objectives, the pedagogical quality and the engagement in learning. The result is a report and a certificate.
- Our worksheets – the core of an Iconomix teaching unit – are developed in close collaboration with renowned didactics experts from Swiss universities. We receive detailed feedback on drafts for new worksheets, which are then implemented and re-evaluated. Over time, this process produces a collection of good practice examples that may serve as guidelines.
- Not to be neglected is the feedback we receive from teachers after launching a new teaching unit. Feedback from committed teachers who share their experiences and insights with us helps us to continually improve a unit over its entire life cycle.
Iconomix currently works primarily with the following partners:
- Prof. Dr. Carmela Aprea, Chair of Economic and Business Education - Design and Evaluation of Instructional Systems, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Mannheim
- Prof. Dr. Bernadette Dilger, Director IWP, University of St.Gallen (HSG)
- Dr. Daniel Schmuki, lecturer and didactics expert (for the subjects economics, law and politics), Swiss Federal University for Vocational Education and Training
