entdecktest

Entdecktest is a form of educational assessment that emphasizes discovery and inquiry. It targets learners' ability to pose questions, explore evidence, and reach reasoned conclusions rather than reproduce memorized facts. Tasks are typically scenario-based and designed to simulate real-world problems across subject areas such as science, mathematics, and information literacy.

The term is German, derived from entdecken (to discover) and Test (test). It has appeared primarily in German-language pedagogy and assessment discussions since the early 2010s, though its exact definition and use vary by program or school.

In practice, entdecktests present learners with open-ended prompts. Students gather data, test hypotheses, document procedures, and justify conclusions. Assessment often combines rubrics that rate process skills, evidence quality, and clarity of reasoning with optional think-aloud protocols or portfolio evidence to support judgment.

Applications include classroom formative assessment, summative tasks within inquiry-based curricula, and research projects in higher education. They are used to assess skills such as information gathering, critical thinking, collaboration, and the ability to transfer knowledge to novel situations.

Advantages include promotion of deeper understanding and transfer of learning, while drawbacks involve scoring subjectivity, resource intensity, and the need for teacher training to implement reliably. Critics also caution about cultural bias and equity in access to suitable materials and time.

Related concepts include inquiry-based learning, performance tasks, and authentic assessment.