Diverse Assessment Practices

Abstract

Think for a moment about the types of assessment you were exposed to during your schooling years. Was it assessment that inspired you to learn? Was it effective in assisting you to gain necessary knowledge that has proved useful to you throughout your lifetime? Were you encouraged to have input into the way you were assessed? The material in this chapter will encourage you to think about assessment in ways quite different to how you were most likely assessed as a student. As assessment is fundamentally important in teaching and learning, this chapter will examine the different types of assessment available to teachers, and examine ways in which assessment can be used effectively to help students learn. We will challenge the idea that assessment should serve only to provide a measure of a student’s ability level, and consider the role that assessment can play in being a tool that students can use to further enhance their learning. We will examine some concerns educators have about traditional types of assessment (such as multiple-choice exams), and explore the emerging trend toward authentic assessment (with a particular focus on portfolio assessment).