The assessment community
Every year, around 70,000 individuals are involved annually in external examining, moderating and marking Key Stage tests, GCSEs and A Levels.More about the assessment community
Conference Programme
The following is the agreed programme and running order. You can choose which seminar to attend according to your specific interests. Simply click the link at the bottom of the programme to book your preferences. We will organise your hotel accommodation if you would like us to do that. Details of how to do this are on the booking form. You are also welcome to join us at the gala dinner on Wednesday April 23rd. Again, details for the dinner can be found on the booking form.
April Conference 2008
A National Assessment Conference
Developing and delivering good assessment practice during times of change
Venue: The St. Pancras Novotel, Euston Road
Purposes
- To develop a national platform with which to position the IEA as the hub of good assessment practice in the UK to the media, government and educational stakeholders.
- To create real added value for members by supporting their professional development needs in this key area. In turn the theme also supports the IEA mission of improving the quality of assessment through better assessment standards and accountability.
- To deliver a forum for the dissemination of the latest research into good assessment practice.
- To act as a forum for debate now and in the future
- To prepare the ground for the increased requirement of centre-based assessment in line with educational reforms.
Themes
This conference responds to the need to deliver high quality assessment in school, colleges and the workplace during major education reform including the introduction of single levels tests, the new diplomas and new specifications in A levels and GCSEs.
It will give an opportunity to hear about current circumstances and future plans from across the UK and countries elsewhere as to how assessment systems are being used to support/drive the changes to educational systems, assessment practices and institutions in a diverse range of settings.
It will create a link between different purposes of assessment, good assessment practice and the role of the IEA.
Format
A two-day residential national conference based in London. Members may apply for one or both days. CPD activities will be split along the following lines:
- Day 1 for primary teachers
- Day 2 for secondary and tertiary teachers
Day One
| Dylan Wiliam | Keynote address | 10:15 - 11:15 |
| Jouni Valijarvi | Keynote address | 13:30 - 14:30 |
| Morning Sessions | ||
| Niel McClean | Seminar 1: Becta is charged with responsibility to deliver the government's educational technology vision, bringing about transformation in a number of areas of learning. Increasingly, Becta see e-assessment as a major potential catalyst. | 11:30 - 12:30 |
| Dr. Jonathan Robbins | Seminar 2: Connoisseurship, coursework and the credibility of teacher assessments. | 11:30 - 12:30 |
| Linda Sturman | Seminar 3: Getting to grips with assessment. NFER materials for primary schools | 11:30 - 12:30 |
| Friedrich Scheuermann | Seminar 4: Quality criteria for European e-assessment guidelines and standards | 11:30 - 12:30 |
| Graham Hudson | Seminar 5: Electronic marking - is it just about efficiency? | 11:30 - 12:30 |
| Afternoon Sessions | ||
| Tim Oates | Seminar 1: The national qualifications system: a rich ecosystem or an impenetrable jungle?. | 14:45 - 15:45 |
| Michelle Meadows and Chris Weadon | Seminar 2: Michelle Meadows and Chris Weadon Electronic marking: the pros and cons and the possibilities. | 14:45 - 15:45 |
| Martin Ripley | Seminar 3: Good practice in Primary Education. Using computer-based literacy assessments to provide frequent diagnostic and progress checking assessments | 14:45 - 15:45 |
| Fred McBride | Seminar 4: Use of the ALTA adaptive assessment engine to design formative uses of computer-based assessments | 14:45 - 15:45 |
| Steve Bristow | Seminar 5: The PISA Framework - adaptation for individual school use. | 14:45 - 15:45 |
| Round Table and Closing Remarks | 15:50 - !6:15 | |
| Gala Dinner | 19:15 - 22:00 | |
Day Two
| Isabel Nisbet | Keynote address | 09:55 - 10:25 |
| Alina A von Davier | Keynote address | 10:30 - 11:30 |
| John Gardner | Keynote address | 13:30 - 14:30 |
| Morning Sessions | ||
| Jo-Anne Baird | Seminar 1: Who wants innovative national assessments? Pressures for and against innovation in the assessment industry | |
| Ezekiel Swierey and Malcolm Hayes | Seminar 2: The Pre-test Effect in National Curriculum Tests | 11:45 - 12:45 |
| Janice Gorlach and Maura Regan | Seminar 3: This session seeks to share the design and application of the pupil progress tracking system at Carmel RC College. | 11:45 - 12:45 |
| Professor Philip John | Seminar 4: The SCHOLAR programme, which provides common educational resources and a 'virtual college' support network. Designed to improve student choice and flexibility, it helps students progress between school, college and university | 11:45 - 12:45 |
| Afternoon Sessions | ||
| Ayesha Ahmed and Alastair Pollit | Seminar 1: It's judging the evidence that counts | 14:45 - 15:45 |
| Suzanne Chamberlain | Seminar 2: Suzanne Chamberlain and Lynne O'Sullivan: Piloting the transition from face-to-face to online examiner standardisation: how to ensure examiner satisfaction and quality of marking? | 14:45 - 15:45 |
| Antony Daly | Seminar 3:'Grading the new diplomas: Resolving technical and functional dilemmas' | 14:45 - 15:45 |
| Professor Richard Kimble | Seminar 4: Project eSCAPE, being run for the fourth year at Goldsmiths College. After successfully designing a multi-media e-portfolio device for use in D&T GCSE coursework, the project has now been commissioned by Becta to extend into Geography and Science GSCE coursework. | 14:45 - 15:45 |
| Jenny Clancy | Seminar 5: Effective assessment practices in a secondary school environment at Lymm High School | 14:45 - 15:45 |
Download a copy of April Conference 2008 brochure
Click here to book your place at the conference