Demonstrating quality outcomes in learning and teaching: examining 'best practice' in the use of criterion-referenced assessment

Article

Hammer, Sara. 2007. "Demonstrating quality outcomes in learning and teaching: examining 'best practice' in the use of criterion-referenced assessment." International Journal of Pedagogies and Learning. 3 (1), pp. 50-58.
Article Title

Demonstrating quality outcomes in learning and teaching: examining 'best practice' in the use of criterion-referenced assessment

ERA Journal ID39917
Article CategoryArticle
Authors
AuthorHammer, Sara
EditorsCleary, Kaye
Journal TitleInternational Journal of Pedagogies and Learning
Journal Citation3 (1), pp. 50-58
Number of Pages9
Year2007
Place of PublicationMaleny, Qld, Australia
ISSN1833-4105
Web Address (URL)http://jpl.e-contentmanagement.com/archives/vol/3/issue/1/article/2838/demonstrating-quality-outcomes-in-learning-and
Abstract

Australian universities are now required to meet a range of quality assurance benchmarks related to learning and teaching excellence, which are evaluated by the government’s Learning and Teaching Performance Fund. Consequently, they must now develop ways to demonstrate attainment of these prescribed benchmarks. One pedagogical practice adopted by Australian universities, as a way of identifying and demonstrating stated learning outcomes, is the use of criterion-referenced assessment. Fundamentally, assessment criteria should do two things: first, they should clearly articulate the desired qualities or characteristics of students’ work that are relevant to the task being assessed ; second, they should show the relationship between the stated learning objectives of a course, and the type of assessment task being used. However, correctly applied, assessment criteria also potentially contribute to students’ learning by enabling them to develop a sense of judgement in relation to their own performance. They also potentially provide the means for articulating appropriate disciplinary standards at a course level. Yet the usefulness of assessment criteria is potentially undermined by issues such as vagueness, confusion over the relationship between criteria and standards, a lack of consensus over the interpretation of criteria within teaching teams and disciplines, and the challenge of articulating desirable qualities for assessment tasks that require complex, higher-order thinking. This paper will address these issues by reviewing relevant higher education literature and proposing six principles of good practice for the use of criterion-referenced assessment.

Keywordscriterion-referenced; assessment; quality assurance; standards; pedagogical practice; learning outcomes; criterion-referenced assessment; assessment criteria; higher education; higher education research
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020390102. Curriculum and pedagogy theory and development
390402. Education assessment and evaluation
390409. Learning sciences
Public Notes

© Copyright of articles is retained by authors. As this is an open access journal, articles are free to use, with proper attribution, in educational and other non-commercial settings.

Paper originally presented at the 3rd International Conference on Pedagogies and Learning, 27-28th Sept, 2007.

Byline AffiliationsSchool of Accounting, Economics and Finance
Event3rd International Conference on Pedagogies and Learning: Meanings Emerging in Practice
ISBN9781921729850
Event Details
3rd International Conference on Pedagogies and Learning: Meanings Emerging in Practice
Event Date
26 to end of 28 Sep 2007
Event Location
Brisbane, Australia
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