… o Inglês, ver!

• assessment and evaluation
• skills and competencies
• formal and non-formal (or, informal) learning
• technical and soft skills

Uma colega do ISEL, Isabel Carvalho, pediu a minha ajuda em explicar a diferença entre os termos ingleses acima, que têm aparecido com alguma frequência nos debates sobre questões de educação e pedagogia. Bom, apesar de eu saber mais ou menos intuitivamente a diferença em cada caso, mesmo assim senti alguma dificuldade em explicitar plenamente os significados de cada. Fica mais complicado pelo facto de que às vezes são empregados duma forma não diferenciada em conversa informal.

Ora, acabei por fazer o que se faz quando confrontado com estas situações: recorrei ao Google. As explicações que seguem não são definitivas e pecam por se apoiarem mais em definições e não em exemplos práticos, mas podem servir como ponto de partida - os comentários e sugestões são bem-vindos.


assessment and evaluation

The term assessment refers to the systematic gathering of information about component parts of the thing to be evaluated.
The evaluation process is broader than assessment and involves examining information about many components of the thing being evaluated and making judgments about its worth or effectiveness.
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/ae0/e_what.html

skills and competencies

Competency: A characteristic and measurable pattern of behaviours and knowledge that causes or predicts superior performance in a given role or set of defined responsibilities.
Competence may be defined as the solving of problems by developing those solutions that prevent their recurrence, and doing so with minimum utilization of energy.

There are two types of skills:

• Basic skills typically are acquired by workers prior to entering the labour force. They consist of literacy, problem-solving, numerical reasoning and written communication.

Occupational or job-related skills required by employees are those skills necessary to perform a specific job or function.

http://www.sla.org/chapter/cmi/Programs/2002-2003/2003Feb5Program.ppt

Formal and non-formal (or, informal) learning

• Formal Learning: the institution controls both the objectives and the means of learning;
• Non-formal Learning: the learners control the objectives but not the means;
• Informal Learning: the learners control the means but not the objectives;
• Self-Directed Learning: the learners control both the objectives and the means.
  http://www.stemworks.org/Bulletins/SEB93-3.html

technical and soft skills

Parafraseando:
Learning about the subject matter is only one of the necessary talents every technology professional should cultivate. The human component to support technical duties requires good communication and relationship skills, otherwise known as soft skills.

However, I tend to prefer the designation professional rather than soft (seems to help get these skills taken more seriously!)

http://www.zdnet.com.au/jobs/print.htm?TYPE=story&AT=39160083-39023216t-20000000c