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The latest country to pilot the citizen-led assessment model is Nicaragua, with project ‘VIdA’ (short for ‘Valoración Intersubjetiva del Aprender’ which means ‘Intersubjective Assessment of Learning’ in English). VidA is a project of an organization called ABACOenRed (short for ‘Aprendizajes Basados en Actitudes Cooperativas’ meaning ‘Learning based on genuine cooperation’). ABACOenRed encourages collective contributions to improve the education system in Nicaragua, strengthening trust amongst key stakeholders across the sector.
In November 2017, VIdA piloted the citizen-led assessment model in Nicaragua. 120 volunteer student teachers, together with 22 volunteer teachers were trained by the VIdA team to conduct the pilot assessment in an urban area called Estelí, in the municipality of Managua in northern Nicaragua. 600 households were sampled from 62 neighbourhoods, assessing children between the ages of 5 and 13.
As the VIdA team compile a process report, the PAL Network asked the VIdA volunteers to tell us more about their experiences:
Belkis Yolibeth Rodríguez Centeno
“I participated in the VIdA pilot, which was carried out in the majority of the neighbourhoods of Estelí. This experience was pleasant very important to us as students of Teacher Training, because we will be the future educators in this country. We had the opportunity to visit many homes where we were received with a lot of love, trust, friendliness and respect. This experience allowed me to see the level of learning obtained by the children at school, as they attempted to complete the various reading and mathematics exercises. We were not well received in all of the homes. In one of the homes they refused to allow us in, but this was not an obstacle as we continued to visit other homes and could reach our goal. This was a learning experience, because we will find parents like this in all communities and must be able to handle similar difficulties in the future as teachers.”
Elsania del Carmen Benavidez Sequeira
“As a student teacher at the Mirna Mairena Guadamuz Teacher Training College in the city of Estelí, I had the opportunity to participate in the VIdA project, assessing children in basic reading and mathematics. This was a great experience, because I was able to interact with the children and observe the various difficulties that they had when learning. I am grateful to the VIdA project for the opportunity to experience something different and acquire new skills, which will help me in the future when I am working as a primary school teacher.”
María Teresa González
“I was a volunteer in the VIdA project. I had many experiences during the assessment, both with parents and with the children. I was able to see the learning outcomes of the children, and the differences between each of them. For example: one girl in Grade 4 was able to complete all the levels of the assessment without any problems, whereas another girl in Grade 6 had greater difficulty moving from one level of the assessment to the next. I observed that not all children are learning at the same level, despite some being in higher Grades. The parents were very friendly when they received us in their homes. I really enjoyed this experience because it allowed me to interact with the children and to see their achievements and difficulties with reading and mathematics”
Eddy Josué Ruiz Cruz
“I had the opportunity to participate in assessing children’s reading and mathematics competencies, as a pilot of the VIdA project, which was carried out in Estelí. It was a very pleasant experience. It allowed me to observe children’s learning levels, as well as the kindness of their parents welcoming us into their homes. I was surprised when I arrived in one of the homes, as a father punished his daughter for wanting to participate in the assessment, even though we explained that she was not quite old enough. This experience was very special, because it allowed me to become familiar with the pedagogical method followed by teachers, which will help to strengthen my knowledge as a future teacher in Nicaragua. I would like to congratulate ÁBACOenRed for their concerns about children’s learning levels into Nicaragua, and their approach which tries to take into account the needs and characteristics of each child.”
Katty Saraí Rugama Centeno
“As a student teacher, I had the opportunity to participate in the VIdA project, assessing children aged between 5 and 13. In this process I could interact with the children, where I noticed the capacity and knowledge that each one had, as well as the difficulties presented, which allowed me to realise that as a future teacher I must implement various reading and writing strategies from the earliest grades. The parents were happy and congratulated us for our unconditional support and, above all, for the VIDA project, which is concerned with the education of the children in our country.”