SEC3102 Enhancing Learning Through Assessment and Reporting

SEC	3102	86688	1, 2009	ONC	Enhancing Learning Through Assessment and Reporting	1.00	Fraser Coast
Subject	Cat-nbr	Class	Term	Mode	Description	Units	Campus

Academic group:	FOEDU
Academic org:	FOE003
Student contribution band:	National Priority Teaching
ASCED code:	070303

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

STAFFING

Examiner: Trevor Black
Moderator: Mark Dawson

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

As teachers we are regularly required to make a variety of decisions about our teaching and about student/trainee performance and progress. This requires the collection of data needed to inform a range of interested parties and provide a basis for future teaching, and possibly employment, decisions. As such, a thorough understanding of assessment principles and practices is vital.

SYNOPSIS

In this course students will demonstrate underlying knowledge of the theory and practice of a variety of assessment procedures currently in use in a range of education and training sectors. They will be required to analyse critically the suitability of such procedures for their own educational contexts. Students are then required to demonstrate competence in constructing and implementing assessment procedures for an educational program in which they are involved. Students will also be required to demonstrate competence in the use of assessment data in reporting on learning outcomes and in the evaluation of their educational programs.

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 completion of this course students will be able to:

1.: demonstrate knowledge of different approaches to and purposes of assessment as well as the principles that are generally viewed as guiding sound assessment practice (Assessment 1)
2.: demonstrate understanding of the concepts of validity, reliability and bias and how each applies to assessment of learning (Assessments 1 and 2)
3.: plan, design, construct and justify a program of assessment relevant to their own work situations (Assessments 2 and 3)
4.: demonstrate competence in constructing and evaluating assessment instruments which match stated instructional objectives of a program in which they teach (Assessments 2 and 3)
5.: demonstrate an ability to use data generated by the assessment of learner performance to report on learning achievements and to evaluate the effectiveness of the assessment procedures and programs of teaching. (Assessment 3)
6.: demonstrate competence in and appropriate use of language and literacy, including spelling, grammar, punctuation and bibliographic referencing. (Assessment 1, 2 and 3).

TOPICS

	Description	Weighting (%)
1.	An introduction to assessment	20.00
2.	Approaches to assessment	10.00
3.	Learning outcomes and assessment	20.00
4.	Designing assessment instruments and programs of assessment	20.00
5.	Analysing assessment data	10.00
6.	Administering, marking and reporting, and moderation	20.00

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).

There are no prescribed texts in this course.

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

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS

ACTIVITY	HOURS
Assessments	29.00
Directed Study	60.00
Lectures and Tutorials	36.00
Private Study	40.00

ASSESSMENT DETAILS

Description	Marks out of	Wtg(%)	Due date	Notes
ASSESSMENT TASK 2	40.00	40.00	15 May 2009	(see note 1)
ASSESSMENT TASK 1	20.00	20.00	12 Jun 2009
ASSESSMENT TASK 3	40.00	40.00	12 Jun 2009

NOTES

1.: APA style is the referencing system required in this course. Students should use APA style in their assignments to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The USQ library provides advice on how to format information sources using this system. http://www.usq.edu.au/library/help/ehelp/ref_guides/apastyle/default.htm

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

Attendance requirements:
It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures, tutorials, laboratories and practical work) scheduled for them, and 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 complete each of the assignments satisfactorily, students must obtain at least 50% of the marks available for each assignment.
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 or in the current USQ Handbook.

ASSESSMENT NOTES

To complete the assessment tasks for this course, students need to be currently involved in a teaching/training/instruction context. Students need to have access to sufficient data to allow them to plan and implement a substantial program of learning assessment, or have access to an instructional setting that includes access to assessment instruments and resulting learner data.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Students will require access to e-mail and Internet access to USQConnect for this course.
Students are to use a recognised referencing system as specified by the examiner.
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 28 Aug 2009.