Assessment: Getting to the Essence

Geoff N Masters

Assessment: Getting to the Essence

Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

Abstract

The author asserts that there is only one fundamental purpose of assessment in education. When this single purpose is recognised and taken as the starting point for thinking about assessment, it becomes a unifying rather than fragmenting influence in the field. He states that the fundamental purpose of assessment in education is to establish and understand where learners are in an aspect of their learning at the time of assessment. There is no other purpose. Establishing where learners are in their learning usually means establishing what they know, understand and can do. When this single purpose is appreciated, many invented distinctions become less conceptually fundamental and some concepts can be approached in new and more useful ways.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Assessment Research: Essays and research articles on maximising the value of assessment
Publication status	Published - 2016

Keywords

Assessment results
Educational assessment
Evaluating progress
Feedback
Learning domains
Observation methods
Past performance

Disciplines

Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research

Access to Document

https://shop.acer.edu.au/pat-essentials-kit

Cite this

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title = "Assessment: Getting to the Essence",

abstract = " The author asserts that there is only one fundamental purpose of assessment in education. When this single purpose is recognised and taken as the starting point for thinking about assessment, it becomes a unifying rather than fragmenting influence in the field. He states that the fundamental purpose of assessment in education is to establish and understand where learners are in an aspect of their learning at the time of assessment. There is no other purpose. Establishing where learners are in their learning usually means establishing what they know, understand and can do. When this single purpose is appreciated, many invented distinctions become less conceptually fundamental and some concepts can be approached in new and more useful ways.",

keywords = "Assessment results, Educational assessment, Evaluating progress, Feedback, Learning domains, Observation methods, Past performance",

author = "Masters, {Geoff N}",

note = "ACER's Progressive Achievement Tests are an Australian, nationally normed series of tests designed to provide objective information to teachers about their students' skills and understandings in a range of key areas. Created and improved over many year",

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language = "English",

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PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - The author asserts that there is only one fundamental purpose of assessment in education. When this single purpose is recognised and taken as the starting point for thinking about assessment, it becomes a unifying rather than fragmenting influence in the field. He states that the fundamental purpose of assessment in education is to establish and understand where learners are in an aspect of their learning at the time of assessment. There is no other purpose. Establishing where learners are in their learning usually means establishing what they know, understand and can do. When this single purpose is appreciated, many invented distinctions become less conceptually fundamental and some concepts can be approached in new and more useful ways.

AB - The author asserts that there is only one fundamental purpose of assessment in education. When this single purpose is recognised and taken as the starting point for thinking about assessment, it becomes a unifying rather than fragmenting influence in the field. He states that the fundamental purpose of assessment in education is to establish and understand where learners are in an aspect of their learning at the time of assessment. There is no other purpose. Establishing where learners are in their learning usually means establishing what they know, understand and can do. When this single purpose is appreciated, many invented distinctions become less conceptually fundamental and some concepts can be approached in new and more useful ways.

KW - Assessment results

KW - Educational assessment

KW - Evaluating progress

KW - Feedback

KW - Learning domains

KW - Observation methods

KW - Past performance

M3 - Chapter

BT - Assessment Research: Essays and research articles on maximising the value of assessment

ER -