We are probably all familiar with students asking us the question “Will this be in the exam?” Given that we are educators, it should be obvious to us that it is we who have trained our students to ask this question. We – or the educational system of which we form a part – have taught them that it is assessment and certification which counts, not education. When considering means of assessment, as we are often required to do in staff meetings and training sessions, do we ever begin by actually reflecting on its purpose?
Giving examples from the teaching of modern languages in Catalan schools and universities, Bill Phillips will look at how assessment determines teaching content and how this can have devastating consequences for learning. Sara Martín will be describing her experience of teaching project-oriented courses in which the habitual system of exercise-based assessment is abandoned in favour of the collective production of an online e-book, and in which self-assessment is as important as the teacher's assessment.
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