Evaluation & Certification in CodyNick Courses

Evaluation is a powerful tool in education and when used correctly, can enhance and personalize the learning experience for all students. In CodyNick courses (Except for instructor courses), evaluation is done by instructors for the sole purpose of providing students with advice about how to improve and enhance their skills, knowledge, and creativity.

In Pre-CodyNick courses (Edison robot, etc.), evaluation is informal and verbal.

Evaluation in CodyNick (Beginner to Advanced) courses is holistic, continuous, and focuses on three competencies at the level of each course:

  • Ideation in Coding – Proficiency in coding at the course level along with creativity and problem-solving skills.
  • Ideation in Making – Proficiency in building the physical aspects of projects effectively and creatively.
  • Participation in Activities – Sufficient and active participation in course activities, including teamwork.

Students are assessed for this competencies on a 4-point or 3-point rubric scale, with names for each level chosen by the instructor. No CodyNick (Beginner to Advanced) courses contain formal tests or exams of any type.

Recommended Scale Names (Omit #4 if using a 3-point scale):

Scale Name1234
CodyNick Recommended ScaleStartingExpandingCompetentMastered
BC Ministry of Education ScaleEmergingDevelopingProficientExtending

To successfuly complete (pass) a course, students need a minimum of:

  • For CodyNick Beginner courses: one level 3 and one level 2 on a 4-point scale, or two level 2s on a 3-point scale on any two competencies.
  • For CodyNick Intermediate courses: two level 3s on a 4-point scale, or one level 2 and one level 3 on a 3-point scale on any two competencies.*
  • For CodyNick Advanced courses: one level 4, one level 3, and one level 2 on a 4-point scale, or one level 3 and two level 2s on a 3-point scale, on all three competencies.*

*Instructors are discouraged from using a 3-point scale for Intermediate and Advanced courses.

You can see some examples of this policy on this table:

Ideation in CodingIdeation in MakingParticipation in ActivitiesSuccessful Completion
1/32/31/3No (Beginner)
No (Intermediate)
No (Advanced)
3/42/41/4Yes (Beginner)
No (Intermediate)
No (Advanced
2/33/31/3Yes (Beginner)
Yes (Intermediate)
No (Advanced)
4/42/43/4Yes (Beginner)
Yes (Intermediate)
Yes (Advanced)
3/33/32/3Yes (Beginner)
Yes (Intermediate)
Yes (Advanced)

In Competitions or Special Events evaluation is objective and follows the pre-determined competition or special event criteria. Evaluation in such cases may be done partially or fully by instructors, other students, parents/guardians, or the public. If the event plan includes determining a winner, the winner will be determined using this evaluation.

In CodyNick Instructor courses evaluation is based on the criteria determined for each individual course and may include the use of quizzes, tests/exams, practical senarios, and practice teaching assignments. All evaulation items must be passed in order to receive certification.

Here is a list of assessment items for each Instructor level:

  1. CodyNick Instructor: Assistant
    • Section Quizzes – min. score usually between 70-90% with unlimited attempts
    • Certification Test – min. score 75%. Retakes may be done after a set waiting time
    • Teaching practice – a 5-10 minute lecture on the given topic within training level with the following criteria:
      • Suitable tone, pace, loudness, and attitude
      • Effective communication of required information
  2. CodyNick Instructor: Beginner Only
    • Section Quizzes – min. score usually between 70-90% with unlimited attempts
    • Certification Test – min. score 75%. Retakes may be done after a set waiting time
    • Teaching practice – plan and conduct a 15-minute in-person lesson on the given topic with other applicants or staff acting as students and asking questions. Must include at least one student-engaged activity. Criteria:
      • Proper lesson and activity planning
      • Suitable tone, pace, eye contact, loudness, and attitude
      • Effective communication of required information
      • Suitable and sufficient use of presentation and facilitation methods and techniques
      • Seamless presentation of the student-engaged activity & sufficient mentoring and support throughout the activity.
    • Emergency Response assistance scenario: Respond to a minor emergency (may include minor first aid) in a classroom setting with the ability to call a supervisor (who is a full instructor and has comperhensive first aid training) and one auxillary staff member. You will be evaluated on:
      • Evaulating the situation and choosing the safest approach for you, your students, and others
      • Choosing an approperiate response protocol (call to emergency services, lockdown, evacuation, etc) if applicable
      • Using your helpers (the staff members described) approperiately
      • Using proper first aid protocols (if applicable)
      • Maintaining safety and security inside the classroom as much as possible for everyone
      • Working under the leadership of the supervisor (if you call them)
  3. CodyNick Instructor: Full
    • Section Quizzes – min. score usually between 70-90% with unlimited attempts
    • Certification Test – min. score 75%. Retakes may be done after a set waiting time
    • Teaching practice – plan and teach a full, 60 minute session of an given Advanced course in-person to your fellow applicants or training staff acting as students. Must contain at least 30 minutes of mentored, student-led activities. Criteria:
      • Proper lesson and activity planning
      • Suitable tone, pace, eye contact, loudness, and attitude
      • Effective communication of required information
      • Suitable and sufficient use of presentation and facilitation methods and techniques
      • Seamless presentation of the student-engaged activity & sufficient mentoring and support throughout the activity.
    • Supervision practice – supervise a lower-level instructor (in this case a fellow applicant or your instructor acting as such), and intervene approperiately whenever they make a mistake.
    • Emergency Response practice – respond to a major emergency situation (may involve minor first aid) in your classroom. You have access to two auxillary staff members, one of whom is trained at the same level as you but will take three minutes to arrive from the time you call for them. The other staff members is completely untrained but readily available. You will be evaulated on:
      • Evaulating the situation and choosing the safest approach for you, your students, and others
      • Choosing an approperiate response protocol (call to emergency services, lockdown, evacuation, etc) if applicable
      • Using your helpers (the staff members described) approperiately
      • Using proper first aid protocols (if applicable)
      • Maintaining safety and security inside the classroom as much as possible for everyone
      • Maintaining effective leadership and directing your helpers and bystanders (including students)
      • Documenting the incident in writing afterwards
    • Major First Aid practice – respond to a major first aid situation in your classroom. You will have access to the same staff members from the Emergency Response practice. You will be evaluated on:
      • Proper hazards assessment and scene assessment
      • Full primary survey assessment, including LOC, ABC, and critical interventions assessment.
      • Proper and timely activation and use of emergency services, equipment, and helpers (if applicable)
      • Proper recognition and treatment of the chief complaint, including CPR and/or spinal injury management if applicable.
      • Shock treatment completed
      • Secondary Survey and vitals monitoring
      • Adherance to scope of training of a typical Full instructor (if you have higher training, you must still demonstrate that you are comfortable using and assisting with basic interventions)
      • Incident documentation, including a full written first aid record and patient assessment using the CodyNick template or the template used in your jurisdiction
  4. ToT Endorsement
    • Certification Test – min. score 75%. Retakes may be done after a set waiting time
    • Scenario Evaluation – Fully plan and conduct all practices (teaching and emergency response assistance) for a CodyNick Instructor: Beginner Only course with fellow applicants acting as instructor students. You will be evaluated on:
      • Proper planning of the activities
      • Designing scenarios and choosing teaching sections that are suitable, at the approperiate level of difficulty, and safe
      • Effective communication of instructions to all students
      • Directing the situations approperiately and preventing any safety issues
      • Properly evaluating and documenting students’ performance using an objective checklist, and providing feedback and pass/fail results to the student being assessed

Note: Emergency Response and First Aid practices (and scenario evaulation) should be conducted with fellow candidates as actors as much as possible, and may be replaced with oral or written assessments (essay/paragraph format) if the facility is not suitable for conducting them as usual, or if there are not enough applicants in the class.

Certification Policy

3.1 Completion requirements

Students are deemed to have completed a course successfuly if they have met all course requirements and a certificate (official or unofficial depending on the level) has been issued to them.

Completion requirements:

  1. Pre-CodyNick levels, including Edison courses:
    In these courses, there is no unsuccessful completion status given. All students must be provided with an official or unofficial certificate at the end of the course. You can, however, recommend that they repeat the course due to incomplete or insufficient learning.
  2. CodyNick Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced levels:
    Students are assessed against the three competencies of CodyNick courses. See above for more details.
  3. Special Contests or events:
    In addition to any prizes or throphies, all participants are deemed to have completed the contest or special event successfuly, regardless of any progress or lack thereof.

Certificate requirements for courses:

  1. Pre-CodyNick levels, including Edison courses & all CodyNick Beginner courses:
    Unofficial certificates are required. Official Certificates can be issued but are recommended only for CodyNick Beginner courses.
  2. Official Certificates are required for CodyNick Intermediate and Advanced levels and all CodyNick Instructor courses. Additional Unofficial certificates may be issued alongside official certificates.
  3. Contests or special events require a token of recognition. This can be a customized sticker or badge, an unofficial certificate, or an official certificate.

Factors affecting certification:

There is only one factor that should be considered when determining competency levels and making certification decisions: The student’s level of competence, proficiency, and learning demonstrated in the duration of the course in question. Instructors are NOT allowed to base these decisions on any other factor.

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