Principles and Practices of Assessment 1.1
During the course of teaching or training learners, assessment will have to take place at one time or another. This test would be carried out to discover whether or not a learner could perform a specific task in the workshop, or to judge if the learner has mastered a new skill or the amount of theory or knowledge the learner can recall.
With a huge variety of learners and courses, there is also a variety of assessment methods to accommodate. These could be to write essays, practical assignments, compiling evidence for portfolios. These assessment methods can be individualised, designed by their tutor or they can be identical assessment activities, for example a written or online test. Even though there is a large assortment of styles, the fundamental reason why assessment takes place is the same.
Assessments allow us to find out if learning has taken place and it can help diagnose learner’s needs such as poor numeracy or literacy skills. It can also provide a way to evaluate learner programs and schemes of work, helping to make sure it fits the syllabus. It helps keep the learners motivated by showing their potential and can give learners the feeling of achievement when an assessment is passed.
Assessment methods are used at different stages of the vocational course to help the tutor ascertain what level the students are, how the learners are progressing throughout the course and underpinning theory they may have learnt. These types of assessments are called initial, diagnostic, formative and summative.
Initial assessment is used at the beginning of a vocational course and is given to provide information to determine a learners starting point. It can help the tutor ensure that the learners are on the correct program and level, and that they get proper support whilst on it. This can be beneficial to the tutor later on as he/she can effectively plan for each learner’s individual needs. There are many assessment...