Faculty of Education

Specialisation: Educational Assessment, Measurement and Evaluation

The course develops participants' understanding of key principles of assessment and measurement and to apply these principles in order to develop effective tools and strategies to measure and evaluate students' performance.

Course outline

It is suited to teachers at primary school, secondary school, college and university levels and currently is only available through face-to-face teaching.

Areas of practical application include

• the interpretation and analysis of state standardised assessments for the purpose of evidence-based decision making and improving learning outcomes
• the use of assessment information for in depth evaluation of the learning of individual students and groups, including program evaluation
• developing assessment strategies, processes and programs to meet particular school needs
• critical evaluation of the strengths and limitations of different assessments and approaches to assessment, including those which employ outcomes frameworks

Areas of research include:

• conceptualising learning in any given domain as a developmental continuum
• application of principles of measurement to explicitly characterise developmental continua, and to understand the nature of student development
• translating measurement principles into practices that allow educators to collect and evaluate evidence of progress and growth
• clarification of key issues involved in ongoing debates concerning formative and summative assessment, criterion and norm referenced assessment, and other commonly used concepts
• the benefits and limitations of using frameworks in order to assess student development, and the implications for teaching and learning

You will complete three units in the area of specialisation:

• EDUC8636 Assessment and Measurement
• EDUC8637 Measurement and Evaluation

Plus select one of:

• EDUC8633 Quantitative Inquiry
• EDUC8634 Qualitative Inquiry

two core units:

• EDUC8631 Approaches to Research
• EDUC8620 Master's Major Paper (12 points)

and two of the following optional units:

• EDUC8606 Advanced Rasch Measurement of Modern Test Theory
• EDUC8608 E-Learning
• EDUC8610 Human Resource Development in Education
• EDUC8612 Leadership for Learning
• EDUC8616 International and Comparative Education
• EDUC8633 Quantitative Inquiry
• EDUC8634 Qualitative Inquiry
• EDUC8636 Assessment and Measurement
• EDUC8637 Measurement and Evaluation
• EDUC8638 Introduction to Rasch Measurement of Modern Test Theory
• EDUC8639 Developmental Aspects of Exceptionality
• EDUC8658 Education Policy Trends: Global to Local
• EDUC8660 Education Studies
• EDUC8661 Education Studies
• EDUC8662 Action Research and Curriculum Innovation
• EDUC8678 Curriculum Context, Development and Innovation

Various assessment methods are used including reflection on readings in the form of fortnightly reports and discussions.

The major assignment for EDUC8636, Assessment and Measurement and EDUC8637, Measurement and Evaluation will be tailored to meet your school's needs so that at the end of the course, you will not only have an understanding of educational measurement but will also have developed an effective practical tool to measure and evaluate your students performances.

Assignment Alternatives:

• Develop, administer and critique assessment items in a chosen learning area
• Devise across school moderation processes and demonstrate the efficacy of the processes
• Design and critique an assessment rubric for a performance task and collate exemplar material
• Devise assessment tasks suitable for early childhood
• Evaluate and report on school performance
• Evaluate school programs
• Design a comprehensive assessment program in a specific domain of learning
• Devise and critique surveys and other instruments

These assignments may be completed individually or collectively.

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Admission requirements

Domestic students

Applicants must meet the admission requirements, or equivalent as recognised by the Faculty:

A. A four-year Bachelor of Education; and
B. (i) two years relevant professional experience, or
    (ii) demonstrated research capacity acceptable to the Faculty.
OR
A. (i) a three year bachelors degree; and
    (ii) a one-year postgraduate course in Education and
B. (i) two years relevant full-time professional experience;
    (ii) or demonstrated research capacity.
OR
1. a degree requiring at least four years of full-time study; and
2. two years relevant professional experience, and
3. demonstrated research capacity acceptable to the Faculty;
OR
Completion of an articulated graduate diploma of this Faculty.

All UWA coursework programs: English Language Competence

International students

Requirements are the same as for domestic students above.

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