Helhedsbedømmelse

Helhedsbedømmelse is a Danish concept referring to an overall evaluation that takes into account multiple aspects of a person, performance, or situation rather than relying on a single metric. The term reflects the idea of looking at the whole rather than isolating individual elements. In practice, helhedsbedømmelse aims to capture the complexity of real-world outcomes by combining different sources of information.

The concept is widely used in education, where courses and programs may combine exams, coursework, projects, participation, and reflections to form a final grade or assessment. It is also used in human resources and organizational contexts, where employee performance can be judged by a mix of objective results, behavior, collaboration, problem-solving, and potential for development. In social and clinical settings, helhedsbedømmelse may integrate need assessments, service outcomes, and progress over time to inform interventions.

Practically, helhedsbedømmelse relies on multiple data sources and often employs rubrics, portfolios, observations, interviews, and self-assessments. This approach emphasizes alignment with defined goals and criteria, as well as consistency and fairness across evaluators. While it can provide a richer picture than single-measure evaluations, it also introduces subjectivity and potential bias, making transparent criteria, evaluator training, and ongoing calibration important.

Critiques of helhedsbedømmelse focus on issues of standardization, reliability, and the risk that diverse judgments may diverge. Proponents argue that when well-structured, it supports more nuanced feedback, personalized development, and decisions that reflect real-world performance beyond test scores.