| Unit name | Understanding Assessment |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EDUCM5913 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52) |
| Unit director | Professor. Baird |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Education |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit explores theory and technical issues associated with testing and assessment. 1). What are the purposes of assessment? Assessments are used in lots of different walks of life, from IQ through to personality, interviews and examinations. Uses of assessments will be explored and the potential for conflicting purposes of assessment results considered. 2). What are the underlying assumptions of assessments? Often tests are put to use without the contexts of their developments being explored. This course will look at the theoretical underpinnings of some assessments in terms of psychological theory, psychometrics and educational assessment approaches. 3). Does this test measure what it is supposed to measure? Techniques for investigating the validity of assessment claims will be explored, as well as the research findings from the academic literature relating to psychological and educational assessments. 4). How can we tell if assessments are fair? Culture-fairness, as well as gender-fairness of tests has been an actively researched area. Findings from these studies will be investigated. 5). What makes assessments more reliable? Research on procedures for making assessments consistent measurements will be investigated. 6). What is the relationship between assessment and learning? Assessment is crucial to the education system, as we need to know whether students are learning. This course will explore theoretical links between assessment and learning. Techniques of assessment for learning and their implications will be scrutinised.
