Forms of assessment and their potential for enhancing learning: conceptual and cultural issues

Abstract

Assessment has become an important topic of debate and even reform in many Western countries. It is equally important in other regions of the world, although less subject to reform. Yet discussions of assessment across cultural boundaries are not frequent and in a globalizing world this can be problematic. The purposes of this article, therefore, are to review concepts such as 'formative' and 'summative' assessment and how they have developed over time. A focus of this review will be to identify the implications of different kinds of assessment for student learning, especially in relation to the cultural contexts in which they take place. The article will argue that different forms of assessment can be directed towards different learning purposes, especially where cultural pressures dictate certain kinds of assessment practices. Valorizing one form of assessment over another may well be counterproductive in particular cultural contexts.

Teachers’ conceptions of assessment in Chinese contexts: A tripartite model of accountability, improvement, and irrelevance

“…Cheung (2008) makes it clear that public examinations are necessary even in contemporary Hong Kong to prevent corruption and collusion in the selection of meritorious candidates for limited resources. Indeed, teachers within Confucian heritage societies appear to see frequent summative assessment and practice for formal examinations as a means of motivating effort and as a means of guiding instruction (Kennedy, Chan, Fok, & Yu, 2008). An additional important distinction in the function of assessment in Chinese contexts is that a good person is one who scores well because examination results reflect the quality and worth of the individual (China Civilisation Centre, 2007;Li, 2009;Pong & Chow, 2002).…”

Structuring peer assessment: Comparing the impact of the degree of structure on peer feedback content

“…A large body of research underlines the power of assessment for the learning process (Evans, 2013;García, García-Álvarez, Moreno, 2014;Kennedy, Chan, Fok, & Yu, 2008;Pellegrino, Chudowsky, & Glaser, 2001). The shift from 'assessment of learning' towards 'assessment for learning' requires learners to be actively involved in all phases of the assessment process (Dysthe, 2004;Boud & Molloy, 2013).…”

Peer assessment as a collaborative learning activity: The role of interpersonal variables and conceptions

“…Many studies indicate that student learning is positively influenced by assessment (Black & Wiliam, 1998;Kennedy, Chan, Fok, & Yu, 2008;Pellegrino, Chudowsky, & Glaser, 2001). Assessment informs students about their strengths and weaknesses and indicates the next steps to take in the learning process.…”