Adult Education Essentials: Assessment for Learning Principles and Practices

Discover assessment for learning strategies and the relevant theory

As with other student-centred practices, assessment for learning is grounded in reflective practice, ensuring robust and fair methods of assessment.

During this four-week course, you’ll be introduced to good assessment practice, learning how to develop consistent, authentic methods of measuring progress.

Check learner engagement using formative assessment methods

Formative assessment allows educators to monitor learner engagement and how well the content has been understood.

You’ll examine examples of formative assessment and how to integrate them into your delivery. By regularly checking for understanding, you’ll be able to adapt your course design to support your learners’ diverse needs.

Improve learning outcomes by exploring forms of alternative assessment

Just as one method of teaching does not suit all learners, the same is true of assessment.

You’ll learn how a student-centred approach allows you to measure progress that may not be possible using traditional assessment forms.

Using forward-looking and naturally occurring assessment, you’ll be able to develop techniques that align with your intended learning outcomes and measure if they have been achieved.

Engage learners in reflective practice using constructive feedback

Student-centred approaches are built on a foundation of reflective practice, both for educators and learners.

You’ll learn how to deliver high-quality, constructive feedback. In doing so, you’ll be able to encourage students to adopt a reflective approach to their learning, allowing them to revisit concepts and strengthen their contextual understanding.

By the end of this course, you’ll understand assessment for learning principles and how they help learners feel respected, supported, and able to build on your feedback using reflective practice.

This course is designed for trainers and facilitators working in both formal education settings and/or workplaces. It is aimed at developing existing knowledge and skills of facilitators who have some teaching experience but minimal formal training or qualifications in adult teaching.

It is also suitable for people who are new to or considering adult teaching, as well as those requiring additional learning and development.

• Assessment principles and practices
• Introductions
• Question for the week
• Formative assessment and competency-based assessment
• Formative assessment
• Competency-based assessment
• Reflection and discussion
• Alternative assessment
• This week's overview and question
• Forward-looking assessment
• Reflection time!
• Feedback
• Feedback: Overview of this week
• Approaches to giving to feedback
• Involving students in feedback
• Reflection
• End of ExpertTrack Test