Assessment in the Work Place for Work-based Supervisors - Allin L & Turnock C (2007)

Table of Contents

1. ASSESSING STUDENT PERFORMANCE IN WORK-BASED LEARNING - Allin L & Turnock C (2007)
2. The Need for Assessment
3. Types of Assessment
   1. Formative Assessment
   2. Summative Assessment
   3. Criterion Assessment
   4. Performance Assessment
   5. The use of reviews and portfolios
   6. Learning contracts
4. When to use a Particular Assessment?
5. Giving Feedback
   1. Useful Tips
   2. Features of Positive Feedback
   3. Negative Feedback
   4. Written Feedback
6. Skills for Effective Assessment
7. Helping a Failing Student
   1. Failure in the submitted work
   2. Avoiding Intimidating Students
   3. Dealing with Non-improving Students
8. Conclusion
9. References

Criterion Assessment

Assessment can also be categorised as either criterion or norm referenced type of assessment. In criterion-referenced assessment particular abilities, skills or behaviours are each specified as a criterion which must be reached. Gray (2001) states that in recent years the focus of interest in work-based learning has moved onto competency standards, sometimes defined as occupational and employment-related standards. This means that placement outcomes are defined in terms of outcomes to be achieved by students. In turn, assessment is linked to the criteria expressed in the competency standards. A number of implications flow from this. Firstly, assessment takes on a problem-centred rather than merely a knowledge-based orientation. To prove competency means having to demonstrate the attainment of skills and attitudes, not just having to write about them. Secondly, assessment becomes not merely a means of judging knowledge and performance, but an integral part of the learning process itself. Consequently, the emergence of performance-based assessment suggests that we are moving towards assessment that is:

- Standards or criterion-referenced. Judging outcomes against these pre-defined standards is relatively straightforward;

- Direct and authentic, related directly to the work situation. This has the potential for motivating learning, since learners can see a direct relevance between what is learnt and what is assessed.

The driving test is the classic example of a criterion-referenced test. The examiner has a list of criteria each of which must be satisfactorily demonstrated in order to pass - completing a three-point turn without hitting either kerb for example. The important thing is that failure in one criterion cannot be compensated for by above average performance in others; neither can you fail despite meeting every criterion simply because everybody else that day surpassed the criteria and was better than you (Oxford Centre for Staff Learning and Development 2006).

Norm-referenced assessment makes judgments on how well the individual did in relation to others who took the test and are often used in conjunction with this is the curve of 'normal distribution' which assumes that a few will do exceptionally well and a few will do badly and the majority will peak in the middle, normally judged as average. This approach is rarely used in work-based assessment.

A number of specific types of assessment can be used in the assessment of work-based learning.