Steepness

The STEEPNESS project explores the quality of learning assessments in open and networked social structures.

The STEEPNESS project explores the quality of learning assessments in open and networked social structures.

Assessing the individual learning that happens within a collective through activities that are more or less structured is often difficult to assess in terms of institutional quality policies. It involves, for example, learning through the use and production of open educational resources (OER), through activities conducted at third-party locations (libraries, fab labs, living labs and repair cafés) or through community participation (associations, bourgeoisies, etc.).

However, in the context of lifelong learning (LLL) and flexible career paths, it is important to support these forms of learning and possibly recognise them through micro-credentials. This approach is becoming increasingly common in Swiss institutions. Therefore, we need to be able to rely on assessment criteria capable of objectively assessing the development of knowledge and skills in terms of complex thought, deep learning, and hard and soft skills. The literature has indeed shown that real-world activities carried out in specific contexts help to develop this kind of learning. Assessment criteria aligned with quality policies that incorporate both the use of AI and ethical and sustainable practices are still to be explored.

By bringing together experts and different stakeholders, and working with speculative and critical approaches, the project’s mission is to start addressing this need. It is aimed primarily at teachers and techno-pedagogical advisers, as well as learners and governance stakeholders.

This project complements the initiative (Re)imagining online assessments and is developed as part of the PgB Open Education & Digital Competencies programme. UniDistance Suisse is a member of the Swiss Digital Skills Academy consortium and works specifically with the HEP Vaud, the University of Teacher Education Vaud, on the STEEPNESS project.

On June 16 – 17, 2025, UniDistance Suisse hosted a face-to-face collaborative seminar gathering 25 experts to work on assessment practices in Open Education contexts. The immediate output of the seminar is available in the form of a Miro board and some information has been shared on Linkedin. Data is currently being analysed to produce guidelines of a set of practices to assess in social, open and networked forms of learning.