Assessment as Practice
Module 4 Week 3
Dr Carol Azumah Dennis carol.dennis@hull.ac.uk
You will be able to ...
• Critically analyse theories, principles and
applications of formal and informal
assessment and their application to learning
and teaching practice.
You will be able to ...
• Critically analyse theories, principles and
applications of formal and informal
assessment and their application to learning
and teaching practice.
You will be able to
• Design, plan and implement formal and
informal assessment strategies to enable
learning and progression.
You will be able to
• Design, plan and implement formal and
informal assessment strategies to enable
learning and progression.
You will be able to ...
• Understand how to critically evaluate and
improve own assessment practice
You will be able to ...
• Understand how to critically evaluate and
improve own assessment practice
formal
text based
non-text based
informal
Open book exam
Written test
formal
Essay
Skills test
Short answer questions
Oral exam
text based
Case study
non-text based
Multiple choice
Peer Assessment
Discussion
informal
Self Assessment
Role Play
Essay
formal
Open book exam
Skills test
Written test
Short answer questions
assignments
Oral exam
question & answer
text based
practical activity
tutorial
Case study
project
non-text based
Multiple choice
learning journal
informal
application form
Peer Assessment
Self Assessment
Role Play
Discussion
conversation
Other types ....
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Academic
Assessor led
Benchmarking
Competence based
Diagnostic
Direct
Evidence
Formal
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Formative
Holistic
Independent
Indirect
Informal
Initial
Integrated
Internal
... of assessment
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Ipsative
Learners led
Norm-referencing
Objective
Proficiency
Process
Product
Profiling
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Qualitative
Quantitative
Screening
Subjective
Summative
Triangulation
Vocational
Criteria-referencing
• Select three types of assessment to discuss
• How often do you use this type of
assessment
• How might you incorporate it into your
practice
• Do you agree with where it is positioned on
the template; where else might you position
it - why
Who needs to do what?
• What responsibility do different
stakeholders have in the assessment
process?
learner
assessor
organisation
Methods of assessments
• Adding to the types of assessment,
what assessment methods can you
think of?
• What are the advantages or
limitations of each?
Methods of assessments
• With reference to three different types
of assessment – what particular issues
of reliability and validity will you need
to consider?
But...
◉ Valid
◉ Sufficient
◉ Authentic
◉ Reliable
◉ Current
Recognising & Recording Progress &
Achievement in non-accredited learning
http://www.rarpatoolkit.com/en/rarpa.asp
•
Appropriate Aims
•
Initial assessment
•
Learning objectives
•
Formative: Recognition and recording of
progress
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Summative: tutor & self-assessment;
progress review
...‘what if.’
• Some learners are treated less
favourably
• The organisation does not make
reasonable adjustment
Access for All
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Dyslexia
Disability
Hearing impairment
Visual impairment
Varying work patterns
Linguistic diversity
And what if ...
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Gender
Disability
Race
Religion & belief
Sexual orientation
• What can you do to make sure your
assessment practice is inclusive and fair
to all learners?
• It might help to think in terms of learner,
assessor and organisational
responsibility?
Can you ...
• Critically analyse theories, principles and
applications of formal and informal
assessment and their application to learning
and teaching practice.
Can you ...
• Design, plan and implement formal and
informal assessment strategies to enable
learning and progression.
Can you ...
• Understand how to critically evaluate and
improve own assessment practice
Knowledge & Understanding
• theories, principles and applications of in/formal assessment
and their roles in learning and evaluation
• significance of equity & diversity for the assessment
Professional Skills
• how to plan/design & conduct in/formal assessment
• how to give feedback to promote progress and achievement
Transferable Skills
• demonstrate knowledge of the minimum core in own practice
• how to evaluate and improve own assessment practice
Part A
• Report outlining their selection, application
and evaluation of an assessment strategy and
associated methods (1,500 words)
◉Strategy
National Test & ILP
◉Selection
Little choice, Policy driven only one
available
◉Application
Choice, i.e. examining board, timing &
emphasis – summative - formative,
always supplemented
◉Evaluation
National Test - unreliable and invalid –
quality process; with ILP more
meaningful
• The assessment used for my area of work is
the National Test – a 40 question multiple
choice exam. I am critical of it but use because
policy demands it. I teach learners beyond the
test and de-emphasise its significance. I also
supplement it with informal individual
learning plans to make sure learners have
amore reliable Ipsative assessment profile.
• Draft an initial position statement on
assessment in your area. This is a one or
two sentence answer to the question.
Part B
• Trainees will submit examples of feedback,
ILP/ILTs with a commentary and or other
documents which demonstrate understanding
of, and commitment to, the principles of
equality and diversity in the assessment
process. (1,000 words)
Individual Learning Plan
◉SMART
Individual needs – researching
support
◉What do you need
formal question to ensure capacity
◉Who will do what
tutor actions / learners actions
◉Comments - tutor
adult learners lives: equity,
diversity, disability
Impact of assessment & sense of
◉Comments - student
what next
Part C
• Planning and delivering learning:
Reflective commentary on personal and
professional development during Year 1
(1500 words)
◉observation
establish your context in detail
◉conceptualisation
what are the key issues, ideas, considerations,
frustrations, challenges, rewards, theories
◉experimentation
what have you done differently, what do you
understand differently, unlearning, identity,
testing ideas out
◉experience
What is the outcome of the above activity?
confidently entrenched in your own position?
how does your terrain look from this angle?
• We shall never cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
T. S. Eliot
(1888 - 1965)
• [learning as]
a generative dance on
the edge of a volcano, a ‘camping
on seesaws’
my emphasis
(Hedberg et al., 1976).