Assessing Students' learning from, at and through Work

Developing appropriate assessment for placement components of courses and other forms of work related learning can be demanding. It involves evaluating learning that is often not the codified knowledge that tends to be taught in universities. Academic staff are aware that this kind of assessment can include reflective and reflexive thinking activities by students and there can be broad learning techniques and theories embedded in a subject discipline that can be drawn out in advance of the experiential activity.

In this session we will discuss how learning gained from work where the tutor is not present can be articulated and analysed by the learner and meet assessment criteria that are designed for placement purposes. General principles, literature and staff experience will be presented and discussed with participants attending the event.

We will present some very early findings from our new research project that point to the need for further action: a disconnection between the outcomes of placements and what is assessed, with this being more striking in placements that are loosely coupled e.g. students resent having a standard academic task to do when their placement offers and has produced far richer learning.

This is a Professional Education and Partnerships (PEP) seminar organised by the Centre for Educational Research and Scholarship.