Assessment and Evaluation in Education: Policy, Research, and Practice

Assessment and evaluation are key processes in education, spanning from teachers’ day-to-day observations in the classroom to international evaluations of policy initiatives and student learning outcomes. Research on assessment and evaluation therefore typically comprises both classroom practices and large-scale studies. Research-based knowledge is also used for policymaking purposes, to identify gaps in existing knowledge, and to improve practice in schools. This PhD course provides an introduction to key concepts and case studies in research on educational assessment and evaluation. The course gives an overview of these interconnected issues through engaging with concepts such as feedback, formative and summative assessments, classroom based vs. standardized assessment, data use in education, policy implementation and evaluation, and teachers' assessment literacy. The interplay between policy, research, and practice will be given special attention.

Knowledge

Students will

• use theoretical lenses to analyze and evaluate assessment practices and policy initiatives, curriculum goals and learning outcomes, and the consequences of educational reforms
• be familiar with key concepts and issues in assessment and evaluation research, such as validity and reliability, accountability, and psychometric tests vs. classroom assessment
• understand how research-based knowledge can be used to improve practice in schools and across systems

Skills

Students will

• be familiar with a range of research strategies useful for assessment and evaluation in research, policy development, and practice
• collaborate with others on critiquing research, policy, and practices from various theoretical positions

Generic competencies

Students will

• write analyses of both policy and research documents
• collaborate with practitioners and policy makers to improve education
• combine knowledge from various fields to understand how systems can be improved through data use and evaluation

The course will combine lectures, analysis of selected studies in groups, and individual writing tasks. In our seminars, we will use triangular discussions, an innovative approach to group work in which participants analyze examples from the three perspectives of policy, research, and practice. This approach will allow participants to understand the knowledge needs, epistemological stances, and possible biases of various actors and stakeholders in the field of education. By examining policies and research contributions from the perspectives of both policymakers, practitioners and researchers, participants will gain insight into how research-based knowledge is generated and used in various ways for assessment and evaluation purposes. Furthermore, development of participants' academic writing through shared writing and peer response seminars will be emphasized. If the course have English students, the teaching will be in English. Assignments can be submitted in Norwegian or English.