PHILOSOPHY OF ASSESSMENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Philosophy Of Assessments In Higher Education

Philosophy of Assessments in Higher Education

Assessment is a judgment of quality, in education, it relates to the testing and examination of students, teachers, and schools and at the end of the day the Government of the time. Whenever we enter into a relationship, whenever we do anything in a social context we open ourselves to other people's assessment. They form opinions of us, have a perceived image of us, or may instantly judge us. If they did not, then we would be essentially unpredictable to them: they would not know what to expect of us or how to behave towards us.

Assessment Grades

Much of the criticism of assessment is aimed at the grading system, are grades an empty symbol of assessment? Grades on there own do not tell you much about the person being assessed, so their main drawback is one of omission. What grades on their own don't do is tell all that is known about the student's performance or abilities.Important qualities and features differentiating one student from another are obliterated by the grades.

Grades and percentages on there own are inadequate in conveying, what is sometimes believed to be put into them, and which other people desperately try to get back out from them again (as in the governments league tables) (Appendix 6) How could a single letter or number possibly tell as much, for example, as is contained in descriptive reports or profiles.

An example of a well thought out marking scheme is one that I used while on teaching at a school in North Kent (Appendix 7). The marking scheme relates to the subject of Design and Technology, a hard subject to give objective grades in. All projects are divided into course and pratical work. These are marked using four descriptors, Presentation, Accuracy, Contents and effort (PACE) for coursework and Finish, Accuracy, criteria and effort (FACE) for practical work.

This marking scheme allows students to see there strenghts and weaknesses at a glance, it also rewards students when they put a lot of effort into a project but may not have the best outcome. It is posibble for two students to receive the same grade one may be a weak student who is trying very hard the other may be a capibale student who is "just cruising". The only drawback with this marking scheme is that it stops at Year 10 when GCSE marking critera take over and the students are marked A to E with some objective feedback given either orally or in written form.

The Reporting of Assessment Results

In Britain, league tables of assessment results are often reported in the press. Every year, newspapers carry long lists naming schools and the GCSEs their students have attained. The "best" schools are at the top of the list and the "worst" at the bottom. It should come as no surprise that the top places are usually awarded to selective or private schools that have the advantage of students of a selected ...