Three Main Types Of Assessments

HABC LEVEL 3 PTLLS Assessment 4 By Andrew Townsend 28 December 2011 HABC LEVEL 3 PTLLS Assessment 4 Townsend 1 Explain the three main types of assessments used and fully explain how you conduct, or could conduct, an initial assessment of learners. The three main types of assessment are Initial, Formative and Summative Assessments. Each form of assessment is equally important each serving a differing purpose and each used in differing ways.
The Initial assessment is the means in which to gather information about the learners and to not only assess their ability to complete the course that they are taking part in, but to enable the teacher to plan the structure of the sessions required. It also assists the Teacher to decide the pace and pitch of the sessions as well as the choice of resources to use to gain the best out of the Learner. The method most commonly used is the Pre-course Application Form / Questionnaire. This enables the teacher to assess the learner’s standard of written English and understanding.
It also enables them to asses previous academic experience, in terms of qualifications already attained and will also tell the teacher when the learner was last in an educational environment. The Application form / Questionnaire can also be backed up by a telephone call. This would enable the teacher to assess the learner’s spoken communication skills. The information collected during the initial assessment should allow the learner to: •Be placed on an appropriate pre-vocational or vocational learning programme which matches their skills, knowledge and abilities. Work towards a level of qualification which is appropriate to their level of skills, knowledge and ability. •Be placed in work in an appropriate occupational area, where this is relevant to the learning programme. •Have all their learning and support needs identified, to enable a comprehensive individual learning plan to be designed. (Department for Education and Employment Good Practice Series ‘Initial Assessment of Learning and Support Needs and Planning Learning to Meet Needs May 2001 p10). ‘The formative assessment is a continuous method of assessment that is conducted throughout the course of tuition. (Morley and Wordsworth. PTLLS made easier. Nov 2010 p92). As a session progresses, the teacher must be able to assess that the learners have understood what they have been taught at each stage. Without continual assessment there is no way of judging whether the learners are able to move on to the next stage. The assessments can be conducted using various means such as oral question and answers, multiple choice questions or group tasks or exercises. The assessments used will enable the teacher to make an informed decision whether or not to carry on, or to re-teach and confirm as required.

Often the size of the group will govern the methods that the teacher adopts to carry out formative assessment. The use of question and answers often takes time, particularly if asking each and every learner either one or two questions. In this situation it would be easier and more productive to introduce multi-choice questioning in the form of a game. For example issue each learner with a set of cards labelled A, B C and D. When a question is asked each student can HABC LEVEL 3 PTLLS Assessment 4 Townsend 2 then respond accordingly with what they consider to be the correct answer.
This enables the teacher to examine all students at the same time, as well as being able to correct, if necessary the learners that have given the wrong answer. In the practical scenario formative assessment enables the learner to practice what they have learned without the pressure of a formal examination and if errors are made, then they can be rectified during the session. If several of the learners are making the same error, it enables the teacher to re-teach as required. ‘A summative assessment is a final confirmation assessment that is conducted at the end of the session or course.
This type of assessment assesses all aspects of the teaching and normally, for a theory session, takes the form of a written examination. ’ (Morley and Wordsworth. PTLLS made easier. Nov 2010 p93). This enables the teacher to ask questions about the entire course in a logical order and being a written examination, once it is marked, it can be graded then filed and stored as a record of the learners progression. When used following a practical session the formative assessment would take the form of the learner carrying out the newly taught skill from beginning to end, under examination conditions without interference from the teacher.
I would use a pre-course application form in order to conduct an initial assessment of learners. A well thought out and written application form would enable me to gain vital information about the learner and plan the course of study to best utilise their potential. The application form would enable me to collect the following vital information about the learner: Career preferences and suitability. Qualifications and achievements. Aptitude and potential. Prior learning and experience. Basic skill needs. Key skill needs.
Learning difficulties. Interests. Learning style. Job role. Personal effectiveness. Personal circumstances which may affect learning. (Department for Education and Employment Good Practice Series ‘Initial Assessment of Learning and Support Needs and Planning Learning to Meet Needs May 2001 p39). Explain how you utilise assessment methods. Prior to any course of study I would send out a pre-course application form to all learners in order to gain as much information as possible to enable me to plan the course of study accordingly.
The responses received would enable me to ensure that the learning was set at the right level for each learner to gain as much as possible from the learning and enable them to reach their individual learning goals. HABC LEVEL 3 PTLLS Assessment 4 Townsend 3 As the training progressed I would utilise formative assessment throughout the learning process. E. g. Having taught a practical element of the course, such as CPR, it is very important to make sure that the learner is able to carry out the procedures correctly. It enables me as the teacher to see whether the teaching method used is working or whether changes may be required.
I would also employ formative assessment in the form of Questions and Answers or maybe even games to not only help me assess the effectiveness of the teaching, but to help me as the teacher to further embed learners functional skills. E. g. In First Aid there are several basic formulae/ratios that require to be learnt to enable the learner to carry out life saving procedures, such as 30:2 (the number of compressions to rescue breaths required to successfully carry out CPR. These various formulae also lend themselves very well to the use of multiple-choice questions.
At the conclusion of a three day First Aid at work course a formal summative assessment is compulsory in the form of multiple-choice examination papers and practical examinations. This allows the learner to prove that they have reached the standard required, which in turn enables them to be certificated as qualified in First Aid. Summative assessment also enables the teacher/training organisation to keep records of the learners’ achievements for further reference, particularly if the learner wishes to progress further. Explain the importance and the requirement of keeping records, including those relating to assessment.
Record keeping forms a crucial part of teaching; the majority of records that would be kept are summative assessments. These are often paper examinations, or audio/ video recordings. Other forms of records that are required to be kept are teaching logs, application forms and funding documentation. Records can either be paper-based or data-based; both forms require an adequate storage facility that is secure and monitored. There are several reasons why records need to be kept, such as a requirement from a college, OFQUAL or an awarding organisation, such as HSE.
Records show standardisation, meeting of criteria and form a vital part of the audit chain. OFQUAL, colleges and awarding organisations employ quality assurance officers to check training provider’s records. There is normally a stipulation that they are kept for three years. The other benefit of record keeping is that you have something to reference should a past learner enquire about a previous course of tuition. They may have lost their certificate and require a duplicate copy for their records. (Morley and Wordsworth. PTLLS made easier. Nov 2010 p97).