Lautovalutazione

Autovalutazione is the process by which an individual assesses their own knowledge, skills, performances, or progress toward defined goals. In Italian, the standard term is autovalutazione; the form lautovalutazione may appear as a misspelling or a less common variant.

Etymology and concept: derived from the prefix auto- meaning self and valutazione meaning assessment, autovalutazione emphasizes self-reflection and self-monitoring as learning or performance strategies. It is often used as part of formative practices that aim to increase metacognition and self-regulated learning.

Contexts and uses: In education, students assess their own work against criteria or rubrics, reflect on goals, and plan improvements. Teachers use autovalutazione to encourage ownership of learning and to gather evidence of progress. In the workplace, self-assessment is part of performance management, professional development planning, and career growth, serving to complement supervisor evaluations. In healthcare and social services, patients or clients may assess symptoms, quality of life, or treatment outcomes as part of shared decision-making. Self-assessment tools include checklists, rubrics, rating scales, portfolios, and reflective journaling.

Advantages and limitations: Autovalutazione can foster autonomy, motivation, and reflective practice, helping individuals identify strengths and areas for development. However, it can suffer from subjective bias, over- or underestimation of abilities, and inconsistent criteria if not well designed or triangulated with external assessments.

Best practices: use clear, objective criteria aligned to goals; combine self-assessments with external feedback; provide training on how to rate performance; employ multiple methods (qualitative and quantitative) to triangulate evidence.

See also: metacognition, formative assessment, self-regulated learning, performance appraisal, portfolio.