Assessment Theory and Practice

CPD courses are delivered at the Queen's Campus, Stockton through short 4-5 day intensive classroom teaching blocks.

Module Description:

Prerequisites

• None

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• To equip students to understand and apply assessment theory in order to devise effective assessment processes regardless of their educational setting or the task being examined.

Content

• Purposes of Assessment
• Relationship of Assessment to the Curriculum
• Utility of Assessments
• Test Types and Construction
• Aggregation
• Modes of delivery
• Standard Setting
• Factors affecting learner performance on assessment
• Evaluation methods and approaches

Learning OutcomesSubject-specific Knowledge:

• By the end of module students will have developed:
• An advanced knowledge and critical understanding of assessment theory
• An advanced knowledge and critical understanding of assessment practice

Subject-specific Skills:

• Students will have gained skills in:
• Assessment design
• Assessment Implementation
• Standard Setting
• Assessment Aggregation

Key Skills:

• The ability to think critically and creatively and to argue coherently;
• The ability to think independently, including problem-solving ability and the ability to discriminate and use judgement;
• Enhanced personal effectiveness: advanced skills of self-awareness, sensitivity to diversity in people and different situations and the ability to sustain learning

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Lecturing - Explains basic principles in a way that allows learners to build their own understanding -Examines challenges in the literature, not readily resolvable by novices - Provides motivation to learners
• Tutorials and seminars - Allow students to work through concepts in more detail, providing both teacher and peer led input, promoting discussion and developing the interprofessional communication and working skills
• Structured reading - Allows students to pursue topics in greater detail enabling both familiarity with key texts and a deeper understanding of the subject knowledge generally
• Practical sessions - Provide practical guidance and experience in assessment design and development
• Independent study, research and analysis - Focuses student knowledge more deeply by pursuing aspects of the module that are of special interest to themselves and exploring specific applications in their field of study
• The written assessment provides the oportunity to assess students' conceptual understanding and ability to critique research on student assessement for its design and applicability to their educative practice and students' needs.

Lecture - 10weekly @ 1 hr = 10hrs

Tutorial - 10weekly @ 1 hr 30 mins = 15hrs

Structured Reading - 10 sets weekly @ 3 hrs = 30hrs

Practical exercises - 3 occasionally @ 2 hours = 6hrs

Library researching/Independent study - Student initiated / Student determined = 89hrs

Total Hours = 150

Summative Assignment: 3000 words = 100%

Formative Assessment: Written comments on a class presentation