º£½ÇÉçÇø

---

Online courses 

Notice 28/03/23: The courses that ETF offers to the FE and Training sector via FutureLearn will be moving to a new home. That process is now underway and the two courses below have been identified for early migration to our new platform. At this time they are no longer available to new joiners. Once available on the new platform, a booking link will be provided below.

The ETF has partnered with Cambridge Assessment Network to develop two fully funded online courses on the principles of effective assessment.  Both courses are self-guided learning experiences, hosted on the FutureLearn platform.  

Find out more below. 

Principles and purpose of assessment 

This course will be relevant to anyone who is involved in assessing learning, whether formally for a qualification or when checking progress in a lesson. It would work well as an opportunity to revisit your learning or to develop new knowledge and skills.

Participants will examine the principles of effective assessment and explore how to apply them with learners.    

The course will allow participants to: 

• understand the key concepts and ideas underpinning educational assessment and how they are connected  
• apply the key concepts to situations where there is a threat to the principles of assessment  
• evaluate assessment issues relevant to your practice  
• consider the purposes of different types of assessment   
• consider the views of key stakeholders defining the purposes of assessment  
• identify where assessment can be effectively used. 

Assessment in vocational contexts 

This course is relevant to anyone who is going to be involved in the delivery of T Levels at their organisation. T Level assessment combines examinations with employer-set projects (ESPs) and requires new thinking to support learners and enable them to succeed.  

The course will allow participants to: 

• understand the key principles of assessment and the core components of T Level assessment  
• define the concept of a ‘construct’ and explore how to assess these 
• understand the concept of ‘standards’ in an assessment context and how to establish these for T Level assessment  
• explore approaches to formative assessment that could be used in a T Level programme  
• understand the assessment approach used in the T Level(s) you’re planning to teach 
• know how to deliver actionable feedback to help learners consolidate their knowledge and skills  
• know how to familiarise learners with T Level assessment methods  
• explore approaches to checking whether learners are assessment ready.  

---

Further resources

Focus on exams webinar recordings

Watch assessment specialist Paul Ellis from Cambridge Assessment Network talk about learner wellbeing and outcomes, in the context of exams. The webinar covers

• Wellbeing – how can we counter issues such as test anxiety, so that students can both feel and function well
• Getting ‘match fit’ – what habits can we encourage in students, so that they are physically and mentally ready to take exams?
• Accessibility – what can we do to give all students the best chance to show their potential?

Dr Jude Brady, Dr Rebecca Conway and Brooke Wyatt from Cambridge Assessment Network talk about exams and questions, with topics covering

• Preparing for assessment: revision strategies, study skills and preparing for exams; strategies and practices for recall and retrieval of knowledge
• Understanding exams – how to support your learners: command words, expectations of questions, working with marking schemes.

Get in touch

Please contact enquiries@etfoundation.co.uk if you would like let us know what else you want to know about assessment and exams.

---