Melanie Kirk

Be able to assess learning in education and training.

6.1 Explain the purpose and types of assessment used in education and
training.

Effective teaching requires assessment of student learning on an ongoing basis. These

can be

 Initial - Occurs before teaching begins to identify learner’s current knowledge, skill
sets and capabilities. Knowing learners’ strengths and weaknesses assists with
effective lesson planning and how to teach it. it enables the tutor to determine the
level the learner is at and any specific requirements. This means the lessons can be
adapted to specific learner need. The disadvantage is by doing this the tutor may
have developed pre-conceived ideas which may inhibit learners progress
 Ipsative – comparison of learner’s test results at differing times, used for formative
assessments (Kleeman 2012) i.e. comparing tests of knowledge prior to the start of
the course and then at the end of the course
 Formative - Formative assessments are a two-way process. Provides ongoing
feedback to ensure learners are on track. Focus is on areas of improvement and not
usually graded. They are used to determine learning progress and teaching
effectiveness. It helps students identify strengths and weaknesses and areas for
improvement and address problems immediately. This assessment is not graded
removing anxiety for learners. Instead, they enable learners to get assistance in
areas they are struggling in. This enables early intervention into issues, to enhance
learning and ability. As it is ongoing this is a continuous process so ensures effective
intervention.
 Summative - An end of course evaluative process assessing levels of achievement
and effectiveness of course delivery. High-stakes summative assessments i.e.
accredited exams are given at the end of a set point and take a standardized format.
Then levels of understanding can be assessed against a universal benchmark, in an
unbiased way. It can show how much a learner has learnt and determine progress
and achievement, is usually graded against a standard so is universal, and can
measure improvements. However, they cannot intervene before issues become
critical as they only occur at the end of the course. Tests such as these put pressure
on learners who become anxious which could then in turn affect performance in the
tests.

6.2 Analyse the effectiveness of assessment methods in relation to meeting

the individual needs of learners.

Formal assessments in many contexts are appropriate to use, but in our context, as
mentioned previously, the level at which we deliver this is not appropriate. However,
they are used if we progress learners to achieve an online basic food hygiene
certificate, but this is a package that is brought in and assessment is included in this
package. However, it is not as formal an assessment as more traditional methods. It
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 Melanie Kirk

Be able to assess learning in education and training.

uses multiple answer questions, which is just a step further on from the more informal
quiz approach, the difference is that if passed then they receive a nationally recognized
qualification. So in this respect this form of assessment acts as a bridge to more formal
types of assessment, if learners wish to progress further. Using such an assessment,
enables learners to ease into more difficult forms of assessment without the pressure of
say doing a traditional exam, we also ensure that they do not necessarily have to do
them under exam conditions as this would be far to intimidating for many and may put
them off progressing to more accredited courses. By using the online package learners
also develop computer skills – so as with all of our courses not only the subject content
is being taught other skills are being developed also.

Informal Assessments we use lots of informal assessment types in our activity centre.
For the purpose of this assignment various assessments will be discussed, including
those that are not currently used and evaluated as to whether they would be effective in
our context

Tests and Quizzes – An evaluation for knowledge acquisition e.g. multiple-choice

questions, true and false questions, fill-in-the-blank questions. As mentioned previously
this can also be used for formal assessment. We use these regularly, both verbally and
with written questions at the end of sessions. This type of assessment assesses both
the learner and the subject matter. In relation to the learner it assesses whether they
have absorbed information throughout the lesson. In relation to the course content it
shows tutors whether the level of the course is correct or needs to be adapted
accordingly. If learners do not perform in end of lesson quizzes this shows that the level
needs to be adapted. Quizzes can also be used to assess learner’s prior knowledge
and again can be used to assess what level the course needs to be taught at. For a
comparison the quiz could be taken at the beginning and the end of the lesson to
compare how knowledge has improved. If learners score highly at the start, then this
shows that the level needs to be increased.
Informal assessments include
 Grading – rather than tutor grading we get learners to grade their ability before
they start a course and at the end of a course. This is good for finding out how
the learner feels they have improved. We could expand on this and get tutors
also to grade their achievements, which then can be used in the 1 to 1 sessions,
and student and tutor grades can be compared and form a basis for discussion.
 Portfolios – By looking at all of their work over the course of time, they can then
see how they have improved and/or where they need to further develop. We did
initially use this and take photos of their cookery achievements. However, we
stopped doing this. I think it would be good if we reintroduced this and we could
develop a booklet of recipes of food they have produced and personalize it with
pictures of the items they have cooked.
 Written Samples/ Project-Based Assignments - any type of written work
creates. This is not appropriate to use in our setting, as most of our curses are
practical and do not involve writing
 Games - increase skills in various areas such as math, spelling literacy and
language. We specifically use this for literacy and numeracy and provides a more
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 Melanie Kirk

Be able to assess learning in education and training.

stimulating and interesting way of increasing learners skills. They also play
against each other so can develop a competitive edge; tutors ensure that they do
not win to enable learners to develop a sense of achievement. Words that
students are unsure of that exist are googled for meaning. This has proven a
very effective method.
 Debates/ peer assessment - assessing their oral presentation skills in terms of
their ability to understand concepts and present them to others. This is done in
some lessons but more as a learning tool rather than an assessment tool.
However other learners can comment in discussions so to some extent this forms
part of peer assessment as learners assess each other’s comments, suggest
improvements and it also develops brainstorming skills. But this is conducted
with the tutor as moderator to ensure there is no criticism or judgement.

6.3 Use methods of assessment, including peer- and self-assessment to:

Demonstrated during observation sessions
6.4       Use questioning and feedback to contribute to the assessment process.
Demonstrated during observation sessions
6.5 Record the outcomes of assessments to meet internal and external
requirements.
Demonstrated during observation sessions
6.6 Communicate assessment information to other professionals with an
interest in learner achievement.
Demonstrated during observation sessions
References
 Education Portal (2015) Informal Assessments in the Classroom: Examples,
Types & Quiz [online] http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/informal-
assessments-in-the-classroom-examples-types-quiz.html (accessed 8/2/17)
 Kleeman, J. (2012) What is ipsative assessment and why would I use it? [online]
https://blog.questionmark.com/what-is-ipsative-assessment-and-why-would-i-
use-it (accessed 4/1/17)
 Navarete,C., Wilde, J., Nelson,C., Martínez, R. and Hargett, R. (1990) Informal
Assessment in Educational Evaluation [online]
http://www.ncela.us/files/rcd/BE017505/PIG3.pdf (accessed 8/2/17)

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