Book reviews
Perspectives on Assessment and Evaluation in International Education by Mary Hayden and Jeff Thompson (eds) John Catt Educational (2017) Reviewed by Wayne Richardson
As the title suggests, this book provides a timely perspective on assessment and evaluation in international school contexts. As noted in the preface, it would require a ‘much heftier volume’ to address all possible issues related to assessment and evaluation. That said, the book consists of 10 chapters addressing various perspectives from teachers, administrators and researchers in the field of international education, drawing upon their depths of experience. The book is divided into two parts: assessment and evaluation. Assessment is discussed in the context of the learner, while evaluation is critiqued under the wider umbrella of the effectiveness of curriculum and/or whole-school policy. Whatever stage of your school’s assessment policy review cycle you are presently in, this book is worth consulting. If we are going to change teaching and learning approaches, it makes sense also to change the ways in which we assess and evaluate students. Standpoints discussed include formative and summative assessment, criterion-referencing and norm-referencing, standardised testing, and a myriad of internal and external purposes for assessment and evaluation. The usual suspects of validity, reliability, equity and English language learners are also re-examined in the international assessment arena. The shift from more traditional quantitative approaches to the assessment of subject knowledge, to assessing new ‘unmapped domains’ such as critical thinking, social capabilities and intercultural understandings, is explored. A detailed example is given of how to approach the assessment of international mindedness using a proficiency scale. A case study is shared about assessing global perspectives, followed by a chapter about assessing global citizenship. Assessment is also considered with respect to the advances in technology and how these might be able to bring about a more balanced form of student assessment. Given the (justifiable) variety of authors, it is difficult at times to follow the common themes. The authors do, however, try to balance their arguments with both supporting and contradictory aspects of assessment and evaluation, thus Spring
Autumn |
| 2018
further highlighting the importance which should be given to assessment and evaluation in the international school context. As noted in this book, employers are now looking beyond ‘skills developed in exams’, and are focusing on well-developed ‘people skills’ including (but not limited to) creativity, teamwork, empathy and resilience. Of particular significance in the international school context is the discussion around potential cultural bias of assessments or, on a wider scale, the curriculum. This point, which requires careful consideration when developing your next assessment policy and practices, is discussed in a number of chapters. At the learner level, it is clear that ‘learning is a multifactorial process’. If we are to match learner and assessment, then the approaches to teaching styles, testing modes and learning styles in the international context need re-assessment (no pun intended). As students differ, matching teaching and learning is in need of serious revision according to one chapter in this book, a point supported throughout the volume. As experienced teachers are aware, factors of motivation, student engagement and personal relationship come into play, though it is not always clear how we can assess these critical influences upon learner achievement. Also considered in this collection is how such factors could be measured as part of the teacher appraisal process and the school’s accreditation journey. The reader is encouraged in this book to look beyond exams and curricula, and to explore additional ways of recognising the progress and potential of the learner. Assessment and evaluation are considered here in a range of international contexts, locations, curricula, student populations and perspectives. As elusive as the concept of ‘international education’ can be, the concepts of assessment and evaluation in the global context are also challenging to agree upon, define and reach consensus about within any school. Just as curricula have their respective different emphases, including regional beliefs, constructivism and metacognition, so will assessment and evaluation require an in-depth analysis from multiple perspectives in order to do justice to the learner. This book attempts to describe such perspectives, and is worthy reading material for any school, providing valuable insights as it does into these important issues. Wayne Richardson is Head of School at Ras Al Khaimah Academy PYP, United Arab Emirates Email: wayne.richardson@rakacademy.org
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