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Essay about Princilples of Assessment Unit 12 Pttls

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Julie Capon Unit 012 Principles of assessment in lifelong learning The types of assessment a trainer will use in lifelong learning include initial, diagnostic, independent assessment, formative, summative, internal, external, formal and informal assessment. “Assessment is a way to find out if learning has taken place.” Tummons (2007: p5) Gravells (2011:p91), describes the assessment cycle in the following terms; “the initial assessment, assessment planning, assessment activity, assessment decision and feedback and finally, review of progress”. The cycle restarts at the initial assessment with the next subject or unit of the qualification. To ensure that there is consistency and fairness through out the assessment cycle, standards and …show more content…

Teaching to pass tests or examinations does not maximise a learner’s ability and potential.” Summative assessments are held at the end of the course or program and they usually use formal methods, for example examinations and multi-choice questions. Gravells (2011) suggests that summative assessments are usually quite stressful for learners and even though the learner might be very capable under alternative assessment methods they often fail final examinations. Trainers must choose methods that most effectively assess the objectives of the course of study. If they are choosing their own methods it will depend on whether they are assessing knowledge, skills, or attitudes. The trainer must also ensure the assessment method or activity is valid. “Does the assessed task actually assess what you want it to” (OCSLD 2002). One example of an assessment method used in lifelong learning is the recognition of prior learning (RPL). The trainer can use a skills audit to assess what has previously been learnt and produce an individual learning plan (ILP). This will enable the trainer to place the student at the correct starting point of a program of study. This can benefit the learner as they do not have to duplicate previous work or be reassessed. The method has its limitations in that it can prove to be very time consuming to both learner and trainer trying to establish and authenticate some aspects of prior knowledge. A fun and

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