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 their programme or qualification. You may be teaching and assessing groups and/or individuals within your organisation, assessing online programmes, or assessing individuals in their place of work, for example towards National Vocational Qualification (NVQ). Depending upon the subject you are assessing, you will need to devise suitable ways of assessing your learners to check their progress. It could be that assessment materials have already been produced for you, for example, assignments, written questions or tests.
A test is a systematic procedure for measuring a sample of a student’s behaviour Reece, I. and Walker, S. (2007:44)
Tests can assess skills and knowledge, as well as behaviour. Having clear marking criteria, and sample answers, will help you make an informed assessment decision.
Assessment is a regular process; it might not always be formalised, but you will be observing what your learners are doing, asking them questions, and reviewing their progression. If you also teach or train, your learners will be demonstrating their knowledge and skills regularly, for example through activities and tasks. You are therefore constantly making judgments about their progression, and how they could improve. You should also be aware of the impact that your comments, marks and grades can have on your learners’ confidence. When giving feedback, try and be constructive; sometimes negative feedback can be constructive if given skillfully. Comments and feedback which specifically focus on the activity or work produced, rather than the individual, will be more helpful and motivating to your learners.
Assessments are usually:
• Internally set – produced by you, or your organisation, for example, questions, projects