The assessments have a main role in learning and development. There are two main types: Formative Assessment and Summative Assessment. Formative Assessment tracks the learner’s progress, and Summative Assessment assesses the learner’s achievement.
The Key Concepts and Principles of Assessment [1]
- Authentic: Being the learner’s own work.
- Equality: A state of fair treatment that is the right of all the students regardless of differences in, for example, culture, ability, gender race, religion, wealth, sexual orientation, or any other group characteristic
- Reliable: Consistently achieves the same results with different assessors and the same (or similar) group of students.
- Sufficient: Enough evidence as specified in Evidence Requirements or Assessment Strategy.
- Valid: Relevant to the standards/criteria against which the candidate is being assessed.
- Fair: Ensuring that everyone has an equal chance of getting an objective and accurate assessment.
- Transparency: The assessor understands the assessment and learners’ requirements.
Assessor Responsibilities [1]
The following are Assessor Responsibilities - Understanding and applying the standards and requirements they are working to:
- Planning assessments to meet course syllabus requirements
- Communicating assessment requirements to students
- Carrying out assessments
- Making assessment decisions
- Providing feedback to students
- Taking part in standardization processes
- Taking part in continuing professional development
Key Factors for Planning the Assessment [1]
The following key factors for planning the assessments:
- Standards/criteria to be used
- Choice of assessment methods
- Location and resources
- Time and duration of the assessment
- Specific students’ needs and any support required
- How to manage the assessment process
- Recording assessment processes and decisions
- Feedback to the students
- Building the assessment strategy
The benefits of involving students in the assessment process [1]
- Transparency – student understanding the standards/criteria they are being assessed against and how assessment decisions are made
- Efficiency – students identifying and providing evidence themselves, others, for example, expert witnesses providing evidence process
The following points are important in the assessment planning [1]
- Assessment arrangements may need to be adapted to meet the student of determination needs.
- Feedback to the learner assists transparency of the assessment process and assists students’ progression.
- Continuing professional development in the assessment process
- Keeping up with changes in technology, working practices, and standards.
Bibliography
[1] "Unit 301 Understanding the Principles and Practices of Assessment," Level 3 & 4 Awards & Certificates in Assessment and Quality Assurance, [Online].
About the Author
Samar Mouti is a program leader of the IT Department at Khawarizmi International College, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Her research interest includes Artificial Intelligence techniques, Natural Language Processing, Expert Systems, and Neural Networks.