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EDUC2411: Assessing Education

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Type	Open
Level	2
Credits	20
Availability	Available in 2024/2025
Module Cap	None.
Location	Durham
Department	Education

Prerequisites

None

Corequisites

None

Excluded Combinations of Modules

None

Aims

To introduce the students to the nature and different forms of assessment in education.

Content

What is assessed: Cognitive and non-cognitive assessment; wider outcomes (character; well-being). Introduction to outcomes in research.
Who is assessed: Pupils; teachers; schools
How is it assessed: Summative, formative and diagnostic assessment; international assessments, national assessments, school assessments; reflective practice.
Why is it assessed: individual progress and attainment; accountability.
The uses of assessment and outcomes in evaluation research; distinguish between impact outcomes and perceptions and experiences outcomes.
Fairness and bias; international comparisons.
Validity and reliability in assessment (an introduction)

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

To develop knowledge, skills and understanding related to the range of outcomes assessed in education: what, who, how, when and why?
To develop an informed and critical understanding of the purposes, strengths and limitations of assessment in education
To understand the relationship between assessment (outcomes) and research findings

Subject-specific Skills:

To gain skills in critiquing assessment outcomes
To gain skills in generating simple results using basic statistical techniques

Key Skills:

To be able to differentiate between different kinds of research outcomes
To be able to synthesise findings from impact outcomes and perceptions and experiences outcomes

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

Lectures
Workshops

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity	Number	Duration	Total	Monitored
Lectures	10	1 hour	10	Yes
Workshops	10	2 hours	20	Yes
Private study, reading and research			170
Total			200

Summative Assessment

Component: Essay		Component Weighting: 100%
Element	Length / Duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
Essay	2500 words	100	Yes

Formative Assessment

A one-page outline of essay plan (500 words) with headings, sub-headings, bullet points and references. Essay Formative: state the topic area and outline the issues of fairness and bias; validity and reliability-which will be discussed in detail in the summative. Include a brief overview of literature in relation to the assessment topic.

More information

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