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USQ Home > Programs and Courses > 2011 USQ Course specifications > EDU5713 Assessment, Evaluation and Learning

EDU5713 Assessment, Evaluation and Learning

Semester 3, 2011 Online Toowoomba
Units : 1
Faculty or Section : Faculty of Education
School or Department : Education

Contents on this page

Staffing

Examiner: Mark Dawson
Moderator: Henriette van Rensburg

Rationale

Assessment of learning provides valuable planning and evaluation information to teachers/trainers and their clients. As this information constitutes the basis on which many education/training decisions are built, it is imperative that educators in all settings are able to understand and apply the principles of quality assessment. The content and activities of this course enable participants to experience a range of assessment strategies, and will require them to apply such strategies in developing and implementing quality, authentic assessment in their particular educational setting. The use of assessment data in the process of evaluation and the enhancement of teaching quality are important components of this course.

Synopsis

This course addresses the theory and practice of assessment and evaluation. Participants will gain an understanding of the principles, theories and recommended practices that govern quality assessment, distinguish between assessment, evaluation, measurement, testing and reporting. The purposes of assessment and the different frames of reference for interpreting assessment information, including norm-referenced, criterion referenced and ipsative-referenced interpretation are explored. Participants are introduced to methods of recording and reporting assessment information, and the use of relevant assessment data in the process of improving the effectiveness of teaching and learning. Participants will also be required to be aware of ethical issues in the process of evaluation, understand the concepts of validity and reliability, select and justify appropriate data gathering devices and data analysis strategies for the conduct of evaluations. Students enrolling in this course are required to have first-hand knowledge of and access to an actual instructional situation.

Objectives

The course objectives define the student learning outcomes for a course. The assessment item(s) that may be used to assess student achievement of an objective are shown in parenthesis. On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

  1. define the concepts of assessment and evaluation and distinguish them from related concepts (Assessment 1)
  2. distinquish between different domains of intellectual development and implications for assessment practices (Assessment 1)
  3. identify the different purposes for which assessment and evaluation information can be used (All assessment items)
  4. demonstrate understanding of the concepts of validity, reliability and bias and their application to assessment and evaluation (All assessment items)
  5. distinguish different methods of assessment and evaluation (All assessment items)
  6. demonstrate understadning of the issues associated with assessment in academic and competency-based education and training environments (Assessment 1)
  7. scope, design and justify an authentic assessment instrument relevant to specific learning environments, which demonstrates the above understanding (Assessment item 1)
  8. justify various methods used to record and report assessment information (Assessment item 1)
  9. construct and justify authentic assessment instruments relevant to specific learning environments, which demonstrate the above understanding (Assessment item 1)
  10. utilise and justify various methods used to record and report assessment information. (Assessment item 2)
  11. understand the principles behind the construction of instruments appropriate for collecting data necessary for an evaluation (Assessment item 2)
  12. understand the principles behind data analysis in the context of both qualitative and quantitative evaluations (Assessment item 2)
  13. construct an educational evaluation proposal relating to the evaluation of an educational program. (Assessment item 2)
  14. demonstrate competence in written language and scholarly writing including correct spelling, grammar, and bibliographic referencing. (all assessment items)

Topics

Description Weighting(%)
1. An introduction to assessment concepts 10.00
2. Types and methods of assessment 5.00
3. Assessment process and instrucments, analysis and reporting 15.00
4. Designing assessment for academic and competency-based environments 5.00
5. Authenticity in assessment 10.00
6. Reporting assessment 5.00
7. Defining education evaluation 5.00
8. Construct an educational evaluation proposal relating to the evaluation of a learning program 10.00
9. Ethics in evaluation 5.00
10. Validity, reliability and analogous qualitative criteria 10.00
11. Data collection and analysis 10.00
12. Report writing 10.00

Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from USQ's Online Bookshop (unless otherwise stated). (https://bookshop.usq.edu.au/bookweb/subject.cgi?year=2011&sem=03&subject1=EDU5713)

Please contact us for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://bookshop.usq.edu.au/contact/)
  • There are no texts or materials required for this course.

Reference materials

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

Student workload requirements

Activity Hours
Directed Study 82.00
Independent Study 83.00

Assessment details

Description Marks out of Wtg (%) Due Date Notes
ASSIGNMENT 1 50 50 23 Dec 2011
ASSIGNMENT 2 50 50 27 Jan 2012

Important assessment information

  1. Attendance requirements:
    WEB There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students' responsibility to participate appropriately in all activities including discussion fora scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.

  2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
    To complete each of the assessment items satisfactorily, students must obtain at least 50% of the marks available for each assessment item.

  3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
    If students submit assignments after the due date without (prior) approval of the examiner then a penalty of 5% of the total marks gained by the student for the assignment may apply for each working day late up to ten working days at which time a mark of zero may be recorded. No assignments will be accepted after model answers have been posted.

  4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
    To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.

  5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
    The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.

  6. Examination information:
    There is no examination in this course.

  7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
    There will be no Deferred or Supplementary examinations in this course.

  8. University Student Policies:
    Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene University policies and practices. These policies can be found at http://policy.usq.edu.au/portal/custom/search/category/usq_document_policy_type/Student.1.html.

Assessment notes

  1. APA style is the referencing system required in this course. Students should use APA style in their assignments to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The APA style to be used is defined by the USQ Library's referencing guide. //www.usq.edu.au/library/referencing

Other requirements

  1. Students will require access to e-mail and have Internet access to UConnect for this course.

  2. For detailsl of the technical requirements and accessing internet study materials, please consult the following URL: http://uconnect.usq.edu.au

  3. Students enrolling in this course are required to have first-hand knowledge of and access to an actual instructional situation.

  4. IMPORTANT NOTE: Working with Children: State law in Queensland requires that all adults (including university students, pre-service educators, trainers, vocational teachers, industry educators) working with children under the age of 18, in the State of Queensland*, obtain approval before commencing such work. Many education courses include a practical component (professional experience, project work, research, assessment etc.) that may require engagement with children under the age of 18. It is your responsibility to ensure that you possess a current suitability card (Blue Card) before commencing any practical components of this course. DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE WITH CHILDREN UNDER 18 UNLESS YOU POSSESS A CURRENT 'BLUE CARD'. For further information: //www.usq.edu.au/education/profexp/bluecard
    • If you are undertaking practical experience outside the State of Queensland, Australia you
    should check local requirements.
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