Using different assessment tools

You will have now finished the whole institution elements of the policy and procedures and need to look at the policy as it applies to different parts of the institution, as separate parts of the institution will want to use a variety of  assessment tools to achieve separate purposes. The processes will be the same, but the instruments of practice may well be different.

For each of the internally organised assessments you need to look at how these are prepared and record how this process below is developed:

Choosing the method of assessment

Assessment can be carried out in a variety of ways. Careful consideration should be given to the method used so that the desired objectives are achieved. Some methods of assessment are more useful in some subject areas than in others.

The questions, whether oral or written, should be fit for purpose, that is, they should achieve what they set out to do, and should be sufficiently differentiated so that all students are able to show some success. They should allow for targets to be achieved.

The practical implications of carrying out the assessment using the selected method, and the type of assessment data generated, should be fully thought through before the assessment takes place.

You may then produce something like the following table:

 

Assessment Purpose	Assessment Tool	Data Generated
To provide summative data at the end of a unit or module	Written test or examination	A grade, mark and assessor details
To provide learners to show what they can do	Role play exercise	Records in a learning log

 

Learners must be fully informed as to how the selected method of assessment will take place so that the assessment is fair and reliable. They will also need to know how their work will be assessed, and how the results of the assessment will be used.

The type of assessment used might also be influenced by external assessments that students will be undertaking in the near future.

Further information on assessment techniques can be found here and on our Insights.

Some methods of assessment

The methods that can be used are:

• Written test or examination
• Multiple choice question papers
• Extended essay
• Role play
• Performance
• Oral assessment
• Practical task
• Project - based assignment
• E assessment
• Group work
• Observation

For further consideration of these assessment instruments go to our Insights and our General Articles.

Inform the Co-ordinator

You will now be in a position to be clear about who will prepare the assessments within the subject area, when this will be done, why it is being done and how the assessment criteria will be used. This needs to be fed back to the Assessment Co-ordinator to be collated as a departmental or subject specific response.

Summative assessments

In terms of summative assessments, the process stops here, since the instruments of assessment, the assessment criteria and the mark scheme are imposed from outside.

However, you need to be aware that the Awarding Body's, or the test developer's instructions have to be followed in order to be compliant. Someone must make sure that these are in place and that all staff and pupils adhere to them.

Nevertheless, there are further processes which the Assessment Co-ordinator will have to undertake to address, for example, formative and diagnostic assessment.  These are covered in the ensuing steps.

Back to The Process