Purpose_of_Assessment

“Assessment is a way of finding out if learning has taken place. It enables you, the assessor to ascertain if your learner has gained the required skills and knowledge needed at a given point towards a course or qualification.” (Gravells, 2008, p.74). We assess our learners for a number of different reasons “motivation, creating learning opportunities, to give feedback (both students and staff), to grade, and as a quality assurance mechanism (both for internal and external systems).” (Rust, 2002, p.1). In terms of the Prince’s Trust Team programme, the team leader needs to consider different methods of assessment, to check progress and to achieve the criteria of the overall qualification. There are three forms of assessment which are used by the Prince’s Trust in order to collect evidence to achieve accreditation, which include initial/diagnostic, formative and summative. Initial/diagnostic assessment “should take place before the learner commences a course/qualification to ensure they are on the right path.” (Gravells, 2008, p.75). At the beginning of the course, learners will complete initial assessment which includes a self-assessment, numeracy and literacy test. From this information, team leaders can assess which level the learners are at and how much additional support they may need to complete the programme successfully. Initial assessment provides you with the information about the learner’s current level of ability and can help to plan future learning and assessment. Within the initial and diagnostic assessment period, an individual learning record is produced. According to the Prince’s Trust “the individual learning record has two main uses: to keep the students own record of what they do, recording their achievements as they go along and to store the evidence they need to gain qualifications. As the student works through this learning record he/she will: identify their strengths and weaknesses, agree their targets in an individual learning plan (ILP), keep a diary, collect and record evidence of what they have achieved.” The team leader can use this information to assess how well learners are doing by building a portfolio of evidence, using photographs, witness statements and observations. Students can also feedback to team leaders as to how they think they are doing and areas for improvement and development. Students contribute to their individual learning records as a type of formative assessment. According to Reece and Walker (2000), formative assessment “takes place during the course and is useful in telling the student how learning is proceeding as well as telling the teacher about the success of the teaching.” The Prince’s Trust Team Programme qualification ensures on going formative assessment using the individual learning plans and reviews and looks for development and progress from the learner through this form of assessment. Furthermore, “summative assessment takes place at the end of a course or topic and is used for certification purposes.” (Reece and Walker, 2000, p.409). This can be shown with the completion of the students’ portfolio of evidence at the end of the programme. The type of assessment chosen should be related to the learning outcomes and governed by decisions about its purpose, validity and relevance. Additionally, a range of different types of assessment is desired to help reduce barriers for students. The types of assessment the Team Programme uses include; observation, written and oral questions, projects, self-assessment, peer assessment, group activities and witness statements. The three main uses of assessment during the programme are written questions (portfolio), self-assessment (ILP-ILR’s) and group activities which encourage personal and team development. Group activities are used consistently, as part of the Team programme. The strengths of using these types of activities are that individuals can develop team working and problem solving skills in a less intimidating and pressurised manner. Motivation is often higher and can be used for both formative and summative assessment. However, according to Wilson (2008), sometimes in group activities it is difficult to attribute results to an individual or particular skill and those weaker learners can fall into the background. The self-assessment methods used within the ILP’s and ILR’s enable evaluation and reflection and allow learners to develop responsibility for their own learning and development. This method is however limited to judgements made by the individuals themselves which can be difficult to be objective, as it is their own opinion. Therefore students are encouraged to continue to self-assess throughout the programme, enabling a link of practice into reflection. The portfolio assessment method used, includes various written questions to test learning and knowledge gained. It helps to develop research skills and assesses understanding of topics using a variety of question styles. The portfolio of evidence can take a lot of time to prepare and has to be marked effectively against set criteria. All methods used by the Prince’s Trust are always valid, authentic, current, sufficient and reliable (VACSR). Due to a variation of assessment methods and more than one person delivering the Prince’s Trust qualification, it is necessary for all team leaders to agree on how they are making decisions and the reasons behind them. Team leaders will discuss the variety of assessment methods used and reach suitable outcomes based on the qualification requirements. “Standardisation enables consistency and fairness of assessment methods.” (Gravells, 2008, p.89). This standardisation of assessment considers equality and diversity and encourages fair assessment throughout the programme. Written and verbal feedback is given to students throughout the programme and progress reviews are carried out during one to one tutorial. “Feedback is the conversation between teacher/assessor and learner. It aims to celebrate strengths, give constructive advice on weaknesses and identify areas for future development. It is essential in the assessment process and its main purpose is to let learners know how well (or not) they are doing.” (Wilson, 2008, p.310). Constructive feedback whether verbal or written, follows a distinct pattern of a positive opener, a developmental statement and a motivational close; also known as the ‘feedback sandwich’. Students are encouraged to give and receive feedback in this form throughout the programme. Assessment overall has a variety of different methods and each will have a distinct purpose, relating to the student, task, teacher and qualification. However for any assessment carried out “it should be remembered that assessment is not merely something which occurs in a modular format or end of year test. In every lesson that you do you will set learning outcomes, deliver your topic and then close the lesson. You must remember that to truly know you have achieved the learning outcomes you must set an assessment activity.” (Wilson, 2008, p.280). References * Gravells, A. (2008) Preparing to teach in the lifelong learning sector. 3rd Edition. Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd. * Rust, C. (2002) Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development OCSLD, Learning and Teaching Briefing Papers Series. (Online) Available at: www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsd/ (Accessed January 2013). * The Prince’s Trust. (2011) Individual Learning Record. Version 4. (Online) Available at: http://www.princestrust.org.uk/pdf/TTnet_ILRfinal_Sep%202011.pdf (Accessed January 2013). * Reece, I. and Walker, S. (2000) Teaching Training and Learning: A Practical Guide. 6th Edition. Great Britain: Business Education Publishers Limited. * Wilson, L. (2008) Practical Teaching: A Guide to PTLLs & CTLLS. London: Cengage Learning.