Principles of assessment Essay Example for Free

Principles of assessment Essay 1. 1 Explain the functions of assessment in learning and development What is assessment? This is the term given to the process of checking that learning has occurred and to check if that learning is effective. It is a way to evidence/ prove a learners achievement in the area being assessed. Assessment I is also used to identify learners needs, how best to support such learner while contributing to quality assurance and the development of good practice . There are three main stages of assessment namely; 1. Initial Assessment 2. Formative Assessment And 3. Summative Assessment . 1. 2 Why Assess? If you have just delivered a training session and you don’t assess, how can you be sure that any learning has taken place? Or if you are trying to work out a person’s level of skill in a particular area, how would you know whether their skill level is poor, moderate or exceptional without assessment? There are various reasons to assess such as: †¢Determining level of knowledge understanding †¢Ensuring that learning is taking place †¢Checking progress. Fulfilling part of a certification requirement like Nvq, PTTLS, etc. . Ensuring the learners specific domains has been considered. Hence the need for assessment at various stages of learning. Giving a summary of learning for the person carrying out the assessment means they can be confident that the candidate has the required level of knowledge on a particular topic or competency for a certain task. For the candidate, assessment usually means reassurance of their own level of knowledge / competency and usually a certificate at the end of the day.