EDU8431 Authentic Assessment

EDU	8431	78794	2, 2008	WEB	Authentic Assessment	1.00	Toowoomba
Subject	Cat-nbr	Class	Term	Mode	Description	Units	Campus

Academic group:	FOEDU
Academic org:	FOE003
Student contribution band:	National Priority Teaching
ASCED code:	079999

Staffing
Other requisites
Rationale
Synopsis
Objectives
Topics
Reference materials
Student workload
Assessment details
Important assessment information
Assessment notes
Other requirements
Production date
PDF version

STAFFING

Examiner: Bruce Waldrip
Moderator: John Green

OTHER REQUISITES

State law in Queensland (Australia) requires that all adults working/undertaking professional experience/researching with children under the age of 18, in the state of Queensland are required to possess a current suitability card (Blue Card). (See "Other Requirements" for further information.) Also see: http://www.childcomm.qld.gov.au/employment/bluecard/informationSheets.html

RATIONALE

It is recognised that many postgraduate students need the opportunity to investigate how to develop assessment so that it is more authentic, engages students and measures children's reactions to such assessment.

SYNOPSIS

This course will examine the importance of developing assessment that engages children, measures what they are actually learning and examines the impact of such authentic assessment of the children themselves. Students will develop and trial innovative authentic assessment tasks. They will examine innovative forms of assessment and monitoring and then explore their impact on the learning experience. Examples presented in the course will be drawn from mathematics and science education but the principles should be applicable to other curriculum areas. NOTES: 1. This course (EDU8431) is available through INTERNET DELIVERY ONLY. There are NO print materials for this course. 2. For details of the technical requirements and accessing Internet study materials, please consult the following URL: http://usqconnect.usq.edu.au.

OBJECTIVES

The course objectives define the student learning outcomes for a course. The assessment item(s) that may be used to assess student achievement of an objective are shown in parenthesis. On the successful completion of this course students will be able to:

understand and apply authentic assessment and evaluation (Assignment and Project);
understand the difference between assessment and evaluation (Assignment);
understand the impact of assessment and evaluation on students and their learning (Assignment and Project);
develop and evaluate authentic rich tasks (Project);
understand the limitations of assessment and evaluation (Assignment and Project);
understand contemporary approaches to assessment and evaluation (Assignment and Project);
understand the unique needs of science and mathematics and be able to develop assessment and evaluation techniques for these needs (Assignment and Project);
use multiple assessment tools and strategies to achieve important goals for instruction that are aligned with methods of instruction and the needs of students (Project);
use the results of multiple assessment to guide and modify instruction, the classroom environment, or the assessment process (Project);
evaluate student assessment outcomes fairly and equitably, using the results of assessment to inform students and assist them in reflective self-analysis of their own work (Assignment and Project);
understand the outcomes-based approach to assessment and evaluation (Assignment and Project).

TOPICS

	Description	Weighting (%)
1.	Role of authentic assessment.	10.00
2.	Connecting assessment and instruction. 2.1. Assessing understanding 2.2. Participants' world views and assessment	30.00
3.	Choosing appropriate assessment tasks. 3.1. Developing authentic assessment tasks 3.2. Assessing reasoning skills 3.3. Designing image-based testing 3.4. Assessment rubrics	50.00
4.	Software and assessment. 4.1. International and national assessment 4.2. Limitations of assessment including impact of school policy	10.00

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).

REFERENCE MATERIALS

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

Whether you are on, or off campus, the USQ Library is an excellent source of information http://www.usq.edu.au/library/ . The gateway to education resources is here... http://www.usq.edu.au/library/faculties/education/default.htm

Harlen, W 2005, Teaching, learning and assessing science 5-12, 4th edn, Paul Chapman Publishing, London.

Mintzes, J.J., Wandersee, J.H. & Novak, J.D 2000, Assessing science understanding, Academic Press, Boston.

OECD 2005, Formative Assessment, OECD, Paris.

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS

ACTIVITY	HOURS
Assessment	50.00
Directed Study	40.00
Private Study	70.00

ASSESSMENT DETAILS

Description		Marks out of	Wtg(%)	Due date
ASSIGNMENT		30.00	30.00	19 Sep 2008
PROJECT		70.00	70.00	08 Nov 2008

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

Attendance requirements:
There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students' responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks or a grade of at least C-. (Depending upon the requirements in Statement 4 below, students may not have to satisfactorily complete each assessment item to receive a passing grade in this course.)
Penalties for late submission of required work:
If students submit assignments after the due date without (prior) approval of the examiner then a penalty of 5% of the total marks gained by the student for the assignment may apply for each working day late up to ten working days at which time a mark of zero may be recorded. No assignments will be accepted after model answers have been posted.
Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.
Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the weighted aggregate of the marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
Examination information:
There is no examination in this course.
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
There will be no Deferred or Supplementary examinations in this course.
University Regulations:
Students should read USQ Regulations 5.1 Definitions, 5.6. Assessment, and 5.10 Academic Misconduct for further information and to avoid actions which might contravene University Regulations. These regulations can be found at the URL http://www.usq.edu.au/corporateservices/calendar/part5.htm.

ASSESSMENT NOTES

1.	Students must retain a copy of each item submitted for assessment. This must be produced within 24 hours if required by the Examiner.
2.	The due date for an assignment is the date by which a student must despatch the assignment to the USQ. The onus is on the student to provide proof of the despatch date, if requested by the Examiner.
3.	The examiner may grant an extension of the due date of an assignment in extenuating circumstances.
4.	In the event that a due date for an assignment falls on a local public holiday in their area, the due date for the assignment will be the next day. Students are to note on the assignment cover the date of the public holiday for the Examiner's convenience.
5.	Students who have undertaken all of the required assessments in a course but who have failed to meet some of the specified objectives of a course within the normally prescribed time may be awarded the temporary grade: IM (Incomplete - Make up). An IM grade will only be awarded when, in the opinion of the examiner, a student will be able to achieve the remaining objectives of the course after a period of non-directed personal study.
6.	Students who, for medical, family/personal, or employment-related reasons, are unable to complete an assignment or to sit for an examination at the scheduled time may apply to defer an assessment in a course. Such a request must be accompanied by appropriate supporting documentation. One of the following temporary grades may be awarded IDS (Incomplete - Deferred Examination; IDM (Incomplete Deferred Make-up); IDB (Incomplete - Both Deferred Examination and Deferred Make-up).
7.	Marking criteria will depend upon the nature of individual projects.
8.	Student workload requirements are as required for the completion of the study and as negotiated between student and examiner.
9.	All assessment items must be submitted.
10.	Summative assessment items will receive a numerical score. The course examiner is responsible for awarding grades.
11.	When there is more than one marker for a single item of assessment, the distributed patterns and means for the different markers will be compared and marks adjusted if necessary.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Students will require access to e-mail and Internet access to USQConnect for this course.
Students enrolling in WEB courses MUST have ongoing convenient and reliable access to the Internet in order to access course materials and participate in activities that will affect assessment. The levels of equipment required may change from time to time, with the most recent specification listed at http://www.usq.edu.au/currentstudents/computingstandards/default.htm. You can check whether your computer system meets these requirements from USQAssist (http://usqassist.usq.edu.au/).
IMPORTANT NOTE: Working with Children: State law in Queensland requires that all adults (including university students, pre-service educators, trainers, vocational teachers, industry educators) working with children under the age of 18, in the state of Queensland*, obtain approval before commencing such work. Many education courses include a practical component (professional experience, project work, research, assessment etc..) that may require engagement with children under the age of 18. It is your responsibility to ensure that you possess a current suitability card (Blue Card) before commencing any practical components of this course. DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE WITH CHILDREN UNDER 18 UNLESS YOU POSSESS A CURRENT 'BLUE CARD'. For further information: http://www.childcomm.qld.gov.au/employment/bluecard/informationSheets.html. *If you are undertaking practical experience outside the state of Queensland, Australia you should check local requirements.

This version produced 27 May 2008.