Essay Assessment and Learner

|assessment as a process of making judgments of learners’ knowledge, skills and competence against set criteria |

Assessment plays a significant role in the learning experience of students. It determines their progression through their programmes and enables them to demonstrate that they have achieved the intended learning outcomes. It is assessment that provides the main basis for public recognition of achievement, through the awarding of qualifications and/or credit.

In my point of view assessment is a testing tool by which a teacher or assessor can use to detect the outcomes of teaching, learning or assessment process with the learners by

Assessment, both formative and summative, plays a significant part in the learning experience as it determines progression and enables learners to demonstrate that they have achieved their desired learning outcomes.

Firstly, assessment of learning occurs at the end of a activity, lesson, or series of lesson for the purpose of reporting at the end of a time period such as the school term or semester. Assessment of learning is also undertaken as part of the National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy [NAPLAN], Year 12 Australian Tertiary Assessment Rank [ATAR], or international monitors of student performance such as PISA surveys which provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate what can do or what they understand (Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2016). Assessment of learning provides a teacher with evidence of student achievement at a particular point in time and is used to plan future teaching and learning, and provide all stakeholders with information about the progress students are making in and out of the classroom (Whitton et al., 2016). This evidence may be used to make judgements about student achievement against objectives or standards and identify additional support or interventions required. Stakeholders may include the student, the parent, the teacher, the principal, the school council and the Department of Education and be used for reporting to parents and record keeping accountability.

Assessments are used to track not only learner but tutor progress. Below I have documented some utilised in my everyday teaching life:

For example, assessment provides clear measurement and recording of achievement during a course that provides identification of individual

In preparing for the assessment, it is important to explain the purpose of the assessment, explaining why it is

With all of the activities carried our by the learner (with or without the assessor) the assessor needs to make decisions on the learner's competence in relation to the requirements of the qualification. The assessor should make their judgements of success or not and provide constructive feedback to the learner in a way that best suits the individual. If any further action is necessary for the completion of the qualification criteria (i.e. more training, description of knowledge or other evidence of ability) then a further plan should be agreed to achieve this. All such information discussed and agreed should be recorded appropriately at each stage.

Assessment is carried out to ensure that learning has taken place. This is used to measures the learner’s knowledge and skills in their chosen area of learning. Assessment can be used to encourage learners to ask questions on anything they have not understood, learners at some point will have to know that they will have to prove their knowledge and understanding to the standards of the awarding body.

The function of assessment in learning and development is to provide a measurable way of planning and supporting students’ progress. Assessment is carried out by means of checks and tests carried out throughout the course. Assessors should provide feedback throughout ensuring that learning is occurring and the learner is at the correct level. It is also important that assessor’s decisions are also consistently reviewed and internally and externally verified.

Although this is primarily for younger children this idea can be used straight through life-long learning. Assessment enables the teacher to see what objectives have been met and what still needs to be addressed. This is often called formative assessment or assessment for learning. ‘Assessment for Learning is the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners ad their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to go there’ (Assessment Reform Group, 2002).

Assessment is often thought of as a punitive exercise. But the purpose of assessment is to ensure that students meet specific standards of progress and to rectify learning deficits before a child falls too far behind. Assessment can also identify a child's strengths as well as his or her weaknesses. As well as comparing the child's performance with his or her peers, the teacher can assess specific learning needs, learning styles, interests, aptitudes, and other critical components of the child's developing learning personality.

4.4 Explain how assessment arrangements can be adapted to meet the needs of individual learners

How different types of assessment help in supporting and monitoring learning and helping learners to make progress