What is the Skills Assessment requirement?
The Graduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution (GCCR) program at Carleton University involves the successful completion of six graduate level courses, plus a half credit skills assessment or research project requirement that involves a simulated mediation exercise. The intent of the Skills Assessment requirement is threefold:
1. to ensure that students exiting the GCCR program practice the mediation skills they learned in their classes, and demonstrate that they are able to self-assess their readiness to mediate;
2. for students to receive verification of their readiness and level of competency by two mediation professionals; and
3. to provide students with the opportunity to concretely identify skills and strategies that require additional attention before competency is reached.
The skills assessment exercise must be taken within one year after completion of course work and students must pass their assessment in order to graduate.
What is involved in the Skills Assessment?
The Skills Assessment is comprised of a simulated mediation between two parties. The conflict context is selected by the student; most involve areas related to workplace, family, and community issues. One week in advance of students’ scheduled assessments they receive written notification of who their assessors will be and the fact-sheet describing the conflict to be mediated. A typical simulation lasts one and one-half hours followed by a debrief session of thirty to forty-five minutes. Two assessors are used for each assessment. One is a member of the CCR faculty, who is also a practicing mediator, while the other is a mediation professional practicing in the Ottawa area in the dispute context chosen by the student. Role-players used in assessments are members of the Insight Coaching group and have received training on how to play the role of a disputant. Both assessors and role-players provide oral feedback on the mediation.
How are students assessed?
Students are assessed using the “Mediation Skills Assessment” measurement tool. The tool uses a scale of 1 to 5 for each of the component parts identified. A score of 1-2 demonstrates some potential to achieve competency (more training required); 3-4 demonstrates strong potential to achieve competency (able to co-mediate); and 5 demonstrates competency (able to sole mediate).
What skill areas are assessed?
There are two broad thematic skill areas described in the “Mediation Skills Assessment” form. The skills being assessed are those considered to be of relevance to conflict resolution and mediation practitioners.
Under the heading of “Managing the Mediation Process”, the following ten skill sets are assessed:
- opening statement
- facilitating a statement of the problem
- moving from positions to interests
- getting insights
- linking and de-linking
- generating options or closing the session
- engaging conflict and working “in the moment”
- tone of proceedings and process flow
- ethical behaviour and personal interaction
- reflective practice.
Under the heading “Communication Skills, Mediation Techniques and Reflective Practice” the following ten skill sets are also assessed.
- non-verbal and verbal communication
- reflective listening
- effective questioning
- organizing issues
- strategic development
- creating empathy
- working with high emotion
- empowering of clients
- neutral language
- reflective practice
After careful assessment of a student’s knowledge, abilities, skills and other attributes, each assessor completes a written assessment indicating one of three possible grades Pass With Distinction (PWD), Satisfactory (SAT), or Unsatisfactory (U).
Why do a Skills Assessment?
The Skills Assessment requirement provides added value that is rarely found in other academic or skills-based programs. It is generally agreed in the mediation community that after skills training workshops few students are able to integrate theory and practice enough to be considered competent practitioners. In order to prepare for the Skills Assessment requirement, students in the CCR program take the time to work with individual coaches and other students to practice and refine their communication and mediation skills. This additional practice helps them reach a deeper understanding of the mediation process and its relational nature, and improve upon and refine their mediation skills and strategies, thus enabling them to develop a higher level of competence.
How do I know if I am ready to do the Skills Assessment?
Before students take their Skills Assessment, they are required to do a pre-assessment. This is an opportunity for the student to be assessed by one of the members of the CCR faculty, or a designate, to confirm the student’s readiness to take the assessment and to provide them with further instruction to advance their skill sets and knowledge. The pre-assessment takes place three to four weeks in advance of the assessment date. Students cannot take their skills assessment without approval from the pre-skills assessor.
How do I prepare for the Skills Assessment?
After completing the “Advanced Conflict Resolution and Mediation” course, students are eligible to participate in the Mediation Role-Play Practice Group. This is a peer-support group that organizes weekly simulated mediation practice opportunities. A sign-up schedule is maintained by a student volunteer who each week sends it out by email for students to sign up either as a role-player or as a mediator. Students are encouraged to act as a disputant at least twice the number of times they act as a mediator to help them grasp the impact of effective, and not so effective, strategies and skills used by mediators. Learning comes from role-playing as a disputant, as well as a mediator. This ratio also helps to ensure that there are enough role-players for each practice session.
Based on experience, no less than six or eight coached role-plays in which students are the mediator is recommended. A Record of Skills Assessment Practice Form is used to help students keep track of their practice sessions and skills development. This form is to be handed in at the time of their pre-assessment. Students are encouraged to use the Skills Assessment Practice Chart to track the development of their skills levels.
Where can I find help to practice my mediation skills?
An exceptional resource to students preparing for the assessment is the Insight Coaching program run by the Centre for Conflict Education and Research (CCER). This program supports CCR students in their learning by providing access to a cadre of trained mediation coaches. These coaches, many of whom are graduates of the CCR program, volunteer their time and expertise adhering to principles of adult learning, peer support and communities of practice. Access to the Insight Coaching program ensures that each role-play concludes with a debrief of the mediation. Mediators, role-players and coaches play an active role in the students’ learning through the coaching conversations undertaken in these debrief sessions.
It cannot be stressed enough that practice is a big component of a successful Skills Assessment. The time put into preparing for the assessment will be time well spent and is what helps students become competent mediation practitioners. When practicing, it is important to consider that all kinds of feedback are valuable – learn from others who are learning to mediate and from the experience of being a disputant. Use the feedback from these experiences to identify your challenges. Become familiar with the “Mediation Skills Assessment” form and use it as a self-rating measure and for others to evaluate you. Periodically review your Coaches’ Feedback forms.
Where can I find the Skills Assessment forms?
What happens the day of the assessment?
Students should plan to arrive at least one-half hour before their assessment to set up the room and ready themselves. Feel free to bring objects that would make the room appear as “your mediation room” (pictures, books, flowers, bottled water, food, paper, pens). Most assessments take place in Room D490 Loeb.
What is the Skills Assessment fee?
The fee for the Skills assessment in $900 (effective May 2013).