Function of Assessment in Learning and Development

|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.

During the initial assessment, the assessor must introduce themselves to the learner and ensure that they understand what the course is.

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

1.1 Explain the importance of a holistic approach to assessment and planning of care or support.

Haydn (2009 cited in Capel et al 2009 page 329) defines assessment as "all those activities which are undertaken by teachers, and others, to measure the effectiveness of teaching and learning".

Educational assessment serves a valuable purpose in today’s education system. In the age of high-stakes testing, educational assessments serve to hold educators accountable for students’ progress. However, I believe that quality educational assessments serve a much greater purpose. High-quality educational assessments provide educators with the ability to make valid assumptions in regards to where a child stands in understanding a topic and what their misconceptions are in regards to the topic. This information is invaluable in determining the instructional steps the educator will take following the assessment. Educational assessments also play a role in validating what educators are teaching. What teachers choose to assess shows students what is important and valuable for them to know.

Assessment for learning will help the learning support practitioner because it will inform us of which areas the pupils may need support with. It will give us better judgement on how to question the children and give them feedback on their work and will also show any problem areas that some less able children need to work at.

The function of assessment in learning and development is primarily to provide a measurable barometer for the students progress.

1.1 Assessment is about judging if, how and what level of learning has taken place. An assessor's function is to decide if a learner has developed skills, knowledge, understanding and competence in a particular field as well as if the learner is showing the attitude required for the application of the learning within that field. Assessing is not the same as evaluating. Rather than the focus being on the programme or course the learner is on (evaluation), the focus is instead on the learner and their development.

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.

By linking different aspects of learning through holistic assessment you can get a clearer picture of student ability. This will also highlight student’s strengths and weaknesses.

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.

The essay explores about Assessment and its types , its uses in the field of education. How assessments works how it can be helpful for students and teachers. How the forms of assessments fit its purposes. Educational assessment is the process in which collecting of data from different sources occurs in order to improve students learning and also to improve the teaching skills of teachers. This gathered data is then analyzed and is used to understand about the level of students knowledge whether the students have achieved the level that was intended to achieve.

The two principle components of the ongoing assessment process are establishing criteria and providing feedback. The criteria for demonstrating understanding should be articulated explicitly at the beginning of each lesson, relevant to the goals for the unit, and public that is everyone in the classroom should know and understand them. Feedback needs to occur frequently, from the beginning of the unit to its