Assessment

1 Understand the principles of assessment

Uses of assessment: certification, setting targets, evaluating teaching, assessing competency, guiding teaching, feedback, tracking progress, admission, assessing learning, assessing knowledge, categorising individuals.

Validity, accuracy and reliability in assessment

• Validity
  • Content validity
  • Construct validity
  • Criteria-related validity
  • Face validity
• Accuracy
  • Precision of measurement
  • Scoring consistency
  • Clear instructions
• Reliability
  • Test-retest reliability
  • Inter-rater reliability
  • Internal consistency
  • Parallel forms of reliability

‍Summative and formative assessment

• Summative: end of a course of study, final grades
• Formative: during the course of study, assessment as teaching

Example assessment methods: exams (open book, closed book, multiple choice, open answer), demonstrations, discussions, presentations, portfolios, projects, case studies, posters, portfolios, essays, thesis, dissertations, question and answer in class.

Reasonable adjustments can be made in assessments: extra time, reader, scribe, computer, separate room, regular breaks, prompts, grade adjustments, and translated materials.

2 Be able to assess a range of content in a valid, accurate and reliable way

Designing formative assessments that are valid, accurate, and reliable: assessment that is suited to the content being taught, assessment that is practical in setting, and assessment that results in the same/similar result if repeated.

Designing summative assessments that are valid, accurate, and reliable: assessment that is suited to the content being taught, assessment that is practical in setting, and assessment that results in the same/similar result if repeated.

Designing an online assessment: platforms, types of assessment (quiz, test, exam, survey, assignment, project), structure, automatic scoring, maula scoring, rubrics, time limits, ensuring authentic participants, randomisation, proctoring, piloting the assessment, accessibility.

Applying a reasonable adjustment to an assessment: identify the need for adjustment, consult with students and experts, determine appropriate adjustment, prepare the environment, staff training, test run, communication, monitor, evaluate, document, reporting.

3 Understand the importance of accurate marking and feedback

The importance of accurate marking is fairness and equity, feedback and improvement, credibility, trust, accountability, data used for decision-making, morale, motivation, progress, placement, ethics, and legal standards.

How teachers use feedback to shape teaching: applying feedback to lesson planning, revisiting topics, targeted support, setting targets, identifying knowledge gaps, reflective practice, professional development, and encouraging student voice.

The use of feedback to improve progress: track improvements, track development, track learning, predicting course outcomes.

The impact feedback can have on students: self-esteem, growth mindset, reinforcement, motivation, clarifies expectations, identifies weakness, encourages critical thinking, metacognition skills, engagement, student-teacher relationship, peer support, prepares for real world.

4 Be able to mark and provide feedback on summative and formative feedback

Demonstrating accurate marking digitally: following a mark scheme, using expert knowledge, marking long-form answers, software used for marking, moderation, marking programs, uploading materials to be marked, and adhering to policy.

Identifying cheating in assessment: plagiarism, Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), signs (drastic change in ability, different language, incorrect referencing, inappropriate content), and online tools for detection.

Feedback

• Verbal feedback: individual feedback, group feedback, whole class feedback, providing negative feedback, providing positive feedback.
• Written feedback: actionable feedback, positive feedback, critical feedback, negative feedback.
• Encouraging students to use and act upon feedback: actionable feedback, responding to changes, feedback on feedback.

Using assessment data to set goals that stretch and challenge students of all backgrounds, abilities and dispositions: realistic targets, motivating targets, demotivating targets, unrealistic targets, and changing existing targets.