General rightsThis document is made available in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite only the published version using the reference above. AbstractWhilst it is frequently argued that assessment sits at the heart of the learning process, in practice assessment often remains narrowly focused on qualifications and reporting achievements, driven by institutional and societal aspirations and tensions such as accountability and economic well being. Yet, the need for assessment to account for the knowledge, skills, dispositions and attitudes necessary to equip young people for a changing and increasingly digital world is also increasingly acknowledged. Based on our recent research review, this article critically examines the role of technology enhanced assessment (or TEA). We argue that whilst technology offers many potentially creative opportunities for innovation and for rethinking assessment purposes, there are also numerous risks and challenges. In particular we highlight ethical concerns over social exclusion and new forms of digital dividedness and the increasing risks associated with big data and the rise of learning analytics. Finally, we note that much research and innovation happens in silos, where policy, research and practice on assessment, technology enhanced assessment and ethical and political concerns are not linked up. We conclude that there needs to be a much more wide-ranging, critical and nuanced discussion in educational and policy circles so that debates about the potential of technology can be linked to improving assessment in the light of the range of social and political challenges that such progress presents. We end with some critical questions for policy, practice and research communities which we offer as a starting point for future thinking and ways forward.Keywords: formative/summative, e-assessment, collaboration, learning analytics, ethics, inclusion, digital literacies. 2 Rethinking Assessment in a Digital Age: opportunities, challenges and risks AbstractWhilst it is frequently argued that assessment sits at the heart of the learning process, in practice assessment often remains narrowly focused on qualifications and reporting achievements, driven by institutional and societal aspirations and tensions such as accountability and economic well being. Yet, the need for assessment to account for the knowledge, skills, dispositions and attitudes necessary to equip young people for a changing and increasingly digital world is also increasingly acknowledged. Based on our recent research review, this article critically examines the role of technology enhanced assessment (or TEA). We argue that whilst technology offers many potentially creative opportunities for innovation and for rethinking assessment purposes, there are also numerous risks and challenges. In particular we highlight ethical concerns over social exclusion and new forms of digital dividedness and the increasing risks associated with big data and the rise of learning analytics. Finally, we note that much research and ...
This article draws on the evidence from two Economic and Social Research Council funded projects which examined the impact of policy on the lives of classroom teachers and the experience of their pupils. The PACE Project concentrated on English primary teachers, reviewing practice in the light of the successive waves of legislative change following the 1988 Education Reform Act. The ENCOMPASS Project was a cross‐cultural study which investigated the attitudes of pupils to schooling and the impact of policy on the work of secondary teachers in England, France and Denmark. Evidence from both projects suggested that teachers in England were concerned that externally imposed educational change had not only increased their workload but also created a growing tension between the requirements of government and the needs of their pupils. A perceived demand for a delivery of ‘performance’, for both themselves and their pupils, had created a policy focus that emphasised the managerially ‘effective’, in the interests of accountability, while ignoring teachers' deeply rooted commitment to the affective aspects of teaching and learning. This article reviews the main findings from both projects in relation to the current thrust of education policy‐making in England and its possible impact on teachers' work and job satisfaction. It also draws attention to the possible long‐term effects that such a focus could have on the quality of learning and the ability of pupils to engage with the necessary skills for lifelong learning.
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