Unit 1 – Preparation for Assessment LO 1.1&1.2&1.3

Unit aim The aim of this unit is to provide educational and workplace assessors with an understanding of, and skills in, preparing for assessment across an organisation. This unit will ensure the learner evaluates the ways in which assessment in organisations is strategically planned and prepared. It encompasses formative as well as summative assessment.

Unit introduction Evaluating the current arrangements across an organisation for managing quality, proposing an appropriate approach and implementing an appropriate quality management system, including developing assessment policies and procedures.

Unit introduction Managing the design and production of valid assessment instruments for different situations across the organisation, along with exemplar and supporting materials.

Unit introduction Ensuring that members of one or more teams are fully prepared in all respects to carry out an assessment.

Unit introduction This unit develops an understanding of the complex interaction of factors across organisations that can impact on the quality of outcomes from assessments. It also develops the skills of evaluating current capabilities and systems, developing strategies and planning courses of action that ensure that the organisation as a whole is fully prepared to plan and implement assessments. This unit places considerable emphasis on verifying the validity and fitness for purpose of assessments and on ensuring that the relevant policies on ethics, diversity and equality are taken into account.

Learning outcomes and assessment criteria

Unit introduction Checking the readiness of the whole organisation to undertake assessment, eg that it has the capabilities and resources necessary and, using the insights gained, to determine strategies and actions needed to bring an organisation’s assessment capabilities and resources up to the level required.

Understand how to evaluate strategically an organisation’s readiness for assessment  Approaches to managing assessment:  approaches eg holistic perspective on organisations and assessment,  Purposes of assessment  types of assessment and suitability for intended purpose  determinants (internal and external) of approach to managing assessments in an organisation;  constituent elements of organisations eg McKinsey’s 7S,  characteristics of assessment approaches in an organisation  assessment processes and structures of assessment activities eg CIEA Professional Framework for Assessors  examples of approaches in use in different organisations and their effectiveness

What is assessment?

Why Assessment  Why "Assessment"?- Assessment is needed for Learning  Why "Assessment"?-Assessment is needed for Effective Teaching  Why "Assessment"?- Assessment is part of quality Learning Environment  _Assessment_Notes.pdf _Assessment_Notes.pdf

What is assessment?  Assessment is the systematic collection, review, and use of information about educational programs undertaken for the purpose of improving student learning and development. (Assessment Essentials: planning, implementing, and improving assessment in higher education by Palomba and Banta 1999) 

New Approaches to assessment  trends/ten-trends-2014/new-approaches-assessment trends/ten-trends-2014/new-approaches-assessment

Bloom’s taxonomy  The major idea of the taxonomy is that what educators want students to know(and, therefore, statements of educational objectives) can be arranged in a hierarchy from less to more complex.

Assessment of quality becomes tricky as higher education become global Challenges  “There are layer upon layer of complications with trying to quantitatively evaluate teaching across countries”  “The league tables have been giving us a very partial measure of what institutions are doing”  feabdc0.html#axzz3H2k4xoHw feabdc0.html#axzz3H2k4xoHw

How to do “Assessment”- Ways of Gathering Evidence

 Ways of gathering evidence (Suskie 2004) and Maki (2004)  Formative  Summative  Objective eg. multiple-choice, true-false exams  Subjective  Traditional  Performance  Local – created by faculty and/or staff  Indirect  Student satisfaction, alumni, and employer surveys  Direct  Performances, creations, interactions within group problem solving

Comparing scores from any assessment method

Reliability and Validity of Methods Used to Gather Evidence Reliability and Validity narrow down the pool of possible summative and formative methods (Maki 2004)  Reliability – refers to extent to which trail tests of a method with representative student populations fairly and consistently assess the expected traits or dimensions of student learning within construct of that method.  Validity – refers to the extent to which a method prompts students to represent the dimensions of learning desired. A valid method enables direct and accurate assessment of the learning described in outcome statements.

Reliability and Validity of Methods Used to Gather Evidence Pros and Cons of Tools for Doing Assessment – Distribute the hand-out Choosing the Right Assessment Tools – Distribute the hand-out

Research for Teachers  Professional learning resource workshop materials  ssessment/assessment/progressandachievement/workshop materials/index.asp ssessment/assessment/progressandachievement/workshop materials/index.asp Intel Teach elements  each-elements.html each-elements.html

Case Study- JISC  Putting assessment at the heart of learning (PDF) University of Glamorgan Putting assessment at the heart of learning  /digiassess.aspx /digiassess.aspx

Aassessments and its types  The primary purpose of assessment Demonstrate understanding of content Improve achievement Analyse student progress Modifying and refining learning cycle  Three types of assessments Diagnostic Formative Summative

Introduction to assessments and its types  Types of assessment and suitability for intended purpose Workplace assessment will assist to resolve problems Employers can also use the assessment to ensure the workplace is equipped for new workers A risk assessment is a systematic method of looking at work activities Legal implications of risk assessment Health and safety at work (mhsw) regulations 1999

Introduction to assessments and its types  Types of assessment and suitability for intended purpose Assessment should encourage the desire to learn within students Provide more than one opportunity for students to meet requirements Self and collaborative assessment is an Important tool in enhanced teaching and improved learning

Introduction to assessments and its types  Mckinsey’s 7s

Introduction to assessments and its types  Formative and summative assessments:  Formative assessment, also referred to as "educative assessment," is used to aid learning. Providing feedback on a student's work  Summative assessment generally carried out at the end of a course or project. Summative assessments are evaluative.

Introduction to assessments and its types  Objective and subjective Objective assessment is a form of questioning which has a single correct answer. Subjective assessment is a form of questioning which may have more than one correct answer

Introduction to assessments and its types  Informal and formal  Formal assessment usually implies a written document, such as a test, quiz, or paper.  Informal assessment usually occurs in a more casual manner and may include observation, inventories, checklists, rating scales, rubrics, performance and portfolio assessments, participation, peer and self evaluation, and discussion

Introduction to assessments and its types  Standards and quality of assessments:  Reliability relates to the consistency of an assessment. A reliable assessment is one which consistently achieves the same results.  A valid assessment is one which measures what it is intended to measure. For example, it would not be valid to assess driving skills through a written test alone.

Introduction to assessments and its types References