Student centred assessment and accreditation in adult literacies

Lyn Tett, University of Edinburgh

The tension field of learning

EMOTIONAL

SOCIAL

COGNITIVE

From Illeris, K (2004) ‘The three dimensions of learning’ NIACE

SOCIETY

Learner Identity

• Shaped by the complex interaction of factors relating to the social (past learning experiences, family influences, norms and values of social networks)

• Fuzzy and context dependent interconnections

Curriculum for Excellence and the literacies curriculum

• The curriculum revolves around the learner.• What is to be learned is based on the key life

areas and social contexts in which literacy and numeracy are used so it recognises meaningful learning.

• The focus is on the skills, knowledge and understanding and how they impact on what people want to do in their private, family, community and working lives.

• A very broad range of achievement is recognised.

The Curriculum Framework Wheel

Research Projects

• Project 1. OECD study of formative assessment published as ‘Teaching, learning and assessment for adults: improving foundation skills’ (Loney, 2008)

• Project 2. SG funded study of approaches and attitudes to assessment and accreditation in adult literacies to be published as ‘Credit where credit is due: recognising literacies learning’ (Tett, McLennan and Edwards, 2008).

Project 1 - OECD study

• Three case studies were studied that covered: work-based, further education and community based provision.

• It was found that learning is assessed through the distance that learners have travelled in reaching their own goals that are recorded in Individual Learning Plans (ILP) owned by learners that shows their progression in relation to their original plans.

• The focus on learners’ identifying their own goals lends itself to processes of formative assessment that in turn leads to setting new goals in a virtuous cycle of achievement.

Project 1 - OECD study (cont)

• There were some challenges, however, that need to be addressed.

• Tutors need to have good communication skills that encourage dialogue, questioning and feedback.

• Staff are committed but often lack training and development opportunities

• Tutors need to be more challenging to encourage learners to go further.

Project 2: assessment and accreditation

• Project designed to map the approach and extent of accreditation of adult literacies learning and identify potential barriers particularly in the community and voluntary sectors.

• Used an on-line survey (82 responses) and 4 case studies of practice to investigate structures and practice that supported accreditation.

Purposes of assessment

Chart 1: Six Broad Purposes for Assessment

0

20

40

60

80

100

aler

ting

tool

s

plac

ing

tool

s

diag

nost

ic a

sses

smen

t

form

ative

asse

ssm

ent

sum

mat

ive

asse

ssm

ent

eval

uatio

n

Perc

en

tag

e

Challenges to delivering accredited learning

Chart 9: What are the challenges in the delivery of accredited learning?

0

20

40

60

80

100

Tuto

r co

nfidence

/com

pete

nce

Org

anis

ing/d

eve

lopin

g s

taff

Tim

e t

o d

eve

lop

Need for

staff

tra

inin

g a

nd s

upport

Appro

pri

ate

reso

urc

es

Budget

Adm

inis

trative

issu

es

Adve

rtis

ing &

reach

ing le

arn

ers

No c

halle

nges

perc

enta

ge

ALN Partnerships in general

Colleges

Developing better practice

• Awareness raising of what is available

• Problem-solving workshops

• Sharing good practice

• Teaching and learning resources

• Developing more robust progression routes

Challenges from learners

• Lack of confidence • Negative experiences of earlier learning• Expectation that accreditation means formal

examinations• ‘Spiky’ profiles• Wide range of abilities in each group

Conclusion

• ‘Assessment is for learning’ is embedded in the approach taken in ALN and there are key lessons here for the Curriculum for Excellence.

• The development of learner autonomy is identified as a key issue by practitioners although sometimes they are not challenging enough.

• There are some negative attitudes to the formal accreditation of learning that need to be tackled

• Thee are also key issues about lack of resources in the sector that can hold back developments.