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Ipsative Assessment and Personal Learning Gain pp 221–242Cite as

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Compete With Yourself (CWY): Maximising Learning Gain in Schools

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Abstract

Compete With Yourself (CWY) is an approach to learning organised around the individual school pupil and based on the principle of ipsative assessment. A pre-test goes beyond diagnosis to provide three-band personal reports that avoid relative comparison, reinforce self-knowledge and promote self-learning. Transparent and achievable goals are met with the help of personal work plans and a personal selection of small concept-based, skill-level, instructional units that can be technology supported. These spotlight effort, boost individual confidence and motivation and improve performance. The ultimate test of CWY is whether it leads to positive change in a pupil’s behaviour, and whether it produces greater excellence than previous methods. Drawing on evidence that is built-in through surveys that measure progress per pupil, the chapter argues that it does and concludes that that there is a strong case for ipsative assessment and for reporting on a pupil’s learning gain.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to most humbly thank all those who have helped me move along my own continuum of learning about CWY starting with Bodvar Jonsson, Steinunn Gudnadottir, Hanna Ragnarsdottir, and other members of the Islensku menntasamtokin, IMS, Iceland. Many amazing people have helped shape my thinking. These include Bob Saunders, Co-Founder, Council for Global Education, USA, Bob Baratta-Lorton, Center for Innovation in Education, USA, Fred Mednick, Teachers Without Borders, USA, Deryn Harvey, former Director, Innovations Unit, DfES, UK, Helena Thuneberg and Mari Pauliina Vainikainen, University of Helsinki, Finland, Pirjo Koivula and Irmeli Halinen from the Finnish National Board of Education. I want to especially thank Gwyneth Hughes for all our interactions following a long Skype session some 2 years ago.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Global Classroom, Lucknow, India

    Sunita Gandhi

  2. Council for Global Education, Ashburn, USA

    Sunita Gandhi

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  1. Sunita Gandhi
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Correspondence to Sunita Gandhi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. UCL Institute of Education, University of London, London, United Kingdom

    Gwyneth Hughes

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Gandhi, S. (2017). Compete With Yourself (CWY): Maximising Learning Gain in Schools. In: Hughes, G. (eds) Ipsative Assessment and Personal Learning Gain. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56502-0_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56502-0_11

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-56501-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-56502-0

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