Understanding Assessment In Education And Training

As a new member of the team please see the information below to give a through understanding of the range of assessments methods used below. This information will help you to know what assessment methods should be used and why, as well as how to record assessments and assessments decisions.

(a) There are typically six assessment methods that we can chose to employ within your role. These are listed below along with examples of when and how they could be implemented:

Examination
This is considered as formal method of assessment, which may be carried out in the middle or at the end of course, or qualification. An exam allows an assessment of the complete course content and is a blind assessment, the student would not have expired the exam paper prior to the assessment.

Multiple Choice Questions
Although this method of assessment could be considered as both formal or informal, for the purpose of your role we will engage this method in a formal manor, as advocated by Gravells. It can be used throughout the duration of the course or qualification and can also be employed in exam conditions.

Role Play
This is considered as an informal method of assessment, which can be employed at several stages during a course or qualification. Role playing is essentially acting or performing subject knowledge through activity. This method would be employed to test the learners knowledge before more undertaking more formal methods assessments.

Project
This would be considered as a formal method of assessment, which is employed throughout the duration of the course or qualification. Some may deem this as coursework. Projects would occur throughout the course is a great way to assess learning in a less stressed manner to the students.

Journal or Diary
This could also be communicated as Self Assessment and can be considered as an informal method of assessment. This method can be employed throughout the duration of the course. Self assessment can combined with other assessment methods to gain a more holistic approach. Self assessment can be used as a summary at the end of a session to assess the student’s progress towards the learning aims and objectives.

Witness Testimony
This would be considered as a formal approach to assessment. Witness testimony is a statement made through witnessing a student undertaking an assessment, usually by a third party. It would normally be used throughout the assessment and would normally be used with other assessment methods.

(b) The four most appropriate assessment methods for that are most appropriate for the specific skills engaged are listed below along with details of the associated strengths and weaknesses.

Witness Testimony
This is witnessing the learner of athlete performing a newly learnt skill in an assessment environment and recording a statement detailing the performance. It is used to confirm achievement of the specified aims and objectives, although it is important for the coach or instructor to familiar with the assessment criteria. The strength of a witness testimony is the ability to record assessments for lower ability students who would otherwise struggle to be assessed. The limitation or weakness is that is highly subjective and could be easily manipulated.

Quizzes
A quiz will test the learner or athlete on a consistent basis around subject knowledge and skills learnt, as well as how and when to apply newly learnt skills. The strengths include being able to make the assessment fun whilst reducing levels of stress and anxiety. A quiz will also allow constant revision of your teaching to allow for gaps in knowledge. The limitation of using a quiz would be some students being embarrassed to answer when in a group scenario.

Questions
Applied either orally or written, questioning throughout an activity or lesson is a good way to assess the learners understanding of the subject criteria. The strengths include encouraging individual thinking skills whilst testing for knowledge gaps without making the learner anxious. A limitation of questioning is that the questions need to be appropriate and therefore planning must take place to anticipate responses.

Role Play
Through encouraging learners or athletes to act out a strategic activity or skill, the learner learns the drill in an informal manner. This also helps aid memory retention and muscle memory retention, especially for improving motor skills or conditioned behaviour. The strengths are that role playing can be contained and can be started or stopped during the assessment. Role plays will also encourage teambuilding and can increase levels of confidence. The limitations are that the skills are not applied in a real life situation, therefore more difficult to undertake when under pressure in real time.

(c) Here you will find an explanation of how 2 assessment methods can be adapted to meet individual learner needs.

Question and Answers
Adaptions can be made to questions to ensure inclusive learning. If a student is anxious in a group situation, questions can be asked on a 1:1 basis. Equally the questions can be adapted according to the level of the student, either low or stretch for higher level students.

Examination
A number of adaptions could occur within an examination. This may include the use of a scribe, or increased time limits if writing becomes difficult. We are also able to employ different coloured paper to aid dyslexic learners within exam conditions.

(d) Sources of information that should be made available to those involved in the assessment process, for learners and others (governing bodies, assessments auditors etc.).

Learners
There are a number of sources that should be made available to the learner or athlete. These include all assessment records, attendance records feedback given to the learner. It is important that attention to detail is paid and that you must ensure only the learners work is reported. It is essentially important that you are aware the learner understands the assessment criteria and what required to achieve this. The appeals process should also be fully communicated to the learner and the learner understand the routes available to contest any assessment outcomes.

Others
Depending on whom this is and appropriate permission is gained and given, assessment information can be made visible to others. However, different people and organisations may want different information. For example a social worker may be more interested in attendance than an exam board, which are more interested in assessment records. Internal Verifiers and External Verifiers would need to see the assessment to ensure quality assurance. The assessment must meet the assessment criteria. Transition teams will need information to share with learners’ next courses/colleges etc. to ensure knowledge is passed on.

(e) Summary of the requirements for keeping records of assessment for and of learning in an organisation.

Gravells states that records should be kept “up to date, accurate, factual and legible, whether they are stored manually or electronically”. An organisation’s primary concern would be to cover the legal requirements, which is the Data Protection Act 1998. This act controls how personal information is used and stored. It is required that the record of assessments would be stored safely and securely with the only access by the teacher. If the learner or say an internal or external verifier requests information the teacher can retrieve this. However, it is essential not to leave this information anywhere but in the correct pre agreed and stated locations.

(f) Why is it important to keep these records?

Any assessment records should demonstrate an audit trail of the learners progress form when they start the learning process until they complete it. This information can be stored for several years, therefore if a student were to lose their work, the assessment records would allow them to still demonstrate the learning outcomes and what was achieved.