Assessment Modalities
The Student Progress Report or SPR will be published and released to students and parents after the end of each term at the Ruhan Nexus. The SPR consists of the following items:
- Student Attendance Rate
- Student Conduct
- Mark awarded to the assessable components of each tuition subject / enrichment course
- Feedback on Student Performance in each tuition subject / enrichment course
- Feedback on Student Performance in Holistic Education / Enrolled Programme
Each term, Ruhan students enrol in a personally unique programme that comprises tuition subjects and enrichment courses of their choice. Students are allowed to vary their enrolment after each term, but will not receive a Certificate of Completion for the subject or course that has been attended for less than 4 terms in a year. Contrarily, students who have successfully completed a subject or course for each term will be entitled to its SPR. The weighting for each assessable component varies according to the nature of each subject or course. These components are as follows.
Class Participation
This is a crucial component in all tuition subjects and enrichment courses taught at Ruhan Nexus. Participating in academic discussions is an indispensable aspect of learning as it reflects the student’s focus and an ability to articulate ideas coherently. Students are also evaluated on their contribution to the learning dynamics involving themselves and their peers in a stress-free classroom setting.
Practice Engagement
As with Class Participation, this component assesses student learning during lessons and is applicable to all subjects and courses taught at Ruhan. It is a Ruhan ideology that every minute of class time shall count towards student learning and development. For this reason, Ruhan does not believe in mass lectures involving scores of adolescents who are not yet ready for this learning mode. Practice Engagement ensures that students are still actively constructing knowledge in their minds while the teacher is not speaking and who, instead, is going around guiding and coaching them closely. This component is a form of formative assessment that allows teachers to gauge students’ understanding of the taught content by studying their answers, and how they are crafted. The learning attitude, attention levels and application approaches of individual students will also be evident to the teacher, who will then provide constructive feedback to them on the spot.
Subject / Course Portfolios
While lesson time is key to learning effectiveness, so is the time allocated to independent self-study. Students will compile all lesson notes and practice answers in a folder that they will submit to the teacher at the end of each term. The portfolios ensure that students stay up-to-speed with all classwork and homework for the day. Consistency and conscientiousness are the prerequisites to sound academic performance, not forced studying, grinding away at ten-year-series questions and answers, or desperate anxiety. If students are absent from Ruhan for a valid reason, they know that seeking help and catching up on notes and homework for the portfolios will be required.
Term Quizzes
The only summative assessment at Ruhan Nexus, this component tests students’ knowledge and application and enhances their academic performance. To relieve workload, these short tests, which carry a relatively small weighting for the overall mark, usually take place at the end of each term. All students need to have at least passed this component in order to be awarded a Certificate of Completion for each subject and course completed at the Ruhan Nexus for the academic year.
Pair Work
Pair Work is an essential component in any educational system as it trains students to work collaboratively with peers and co-workers. The Ruhan Nexus gives students ample opportunities to engage in pair work, from regular discussion on practice questions and presenting about ideas and reflections, all through to creating robots in workshops and producing quality videos for screening. Pair work at Ruhan is assessed under Class Participation and will be in the form of teacher observation, student presentation and the quality of submitted work.
Group Learning
This aspect of Education is vital to students’ professional career in adulthood. Brainstorming is the norm in the corporate world so collective wisdom is highly valued. The Ruhan Nexus wants its students to understand the psychosocial nuances of working in a group and to also possess the ability to interact empathetically and professionally with others. Group learning at Ruhan comes mainly in the form of whole-class discussions where students are qualitatively assessed on their ability to cite learning points and pose constructive questions, especially after a presentation has been made by their peers. Ruhan aims to hone the Emotional Quotient (EQ) of the student, which is why Camaraderie (群) and Internationalisation (寰) are the basic learning objectives of its subjects and courses. EQ certainly goes a long way in equipping our students to work effectively in a team, and to step confidently into their professional world.
