Brief description

To attempt to assess what a student is learning or what has been learned raises questions of 'why?' and 'for whose benefit?' as well as 'what is to be assessed?' and 'how?'. This module is concerned with the role of assessment in an educational context, ranging from the informal classroom assessment of learning to assessment systems at a national scale. Examples of assessment practices from all phases of education, from primary schools to higher education, are analysed with a view to understanding both the potential and the limitations of assessment in an educational context. The main, though not exclusive, focus is on assessment practices and assessment systems in the schools of England and Wales.

This module will be of interest both to students on the Education Department's degree programmes and to students on other degree programmes who are interested in a career in education.

Professor Richard Daugherty is a specialist in curriculum and assessment. He has published widely on the subject of assessment, in particular on teachers' assessments, on National Curriculum Assessment in England and Wales and on the use of assessment to support students' learning.

Aims of the module

• To enhance students' understanding of the concepts which are central to an understanding of the nature and practice of assessment in an educational context.

• To enhance students' understanding of the inter-relationship between learning and assessment, at every level from the classroom to the operation of the assessment systems which operate across a wide range of educational institutions in a national context, in particular the systems in place in schools in England and Wales.

• To explore the socio-cultural role of assessment in education.

Syllabus

• Assessment practices, principles and policies
• Assessing educational attainment: a technical toolkit
• Desigining a scheme of assessment
• Assessment: the social and political context
• Assessment systems 1
• Assessment systems 2
• Assessment for learning
• Standardising teachers' assessments
• Assessment of national standards
• Overview and trends: the changing role of asssessment in education

Learning outcomes

General Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should be able to:

• understand the technical concepts and procedures involved in the design of assessments in educational contexts;

• understand how assessment practices interact with student learning;

• understand the socio-cultural role of assessment in education;

• apply their understanding to the design of assessment arrangements appropriate to a specific educational context and a chosen purpose.

Specific Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should be able to:

• analyse the structural components in a set of assessment arrangements;

• demonstrate their understanding of the technical concepts underpinning a set of assessment arrangements;

• apply their understanding of assessment concepts, procedures and structures to the analysis of assessment in a specific educational context;

• apply their understanding of assessment concepts, procedures and structures to the analysis of a national scale assessment system.

Reading Lists