Good Practice
Assessment good practice and the use of Alfie.
Validity
An assessment should provide a valid reason for use. The assessment should be fit for the purpose that it is intended for and it should cover the work that a learner has undertaken or, in the case of diagnostic assessment, the work that they are about to undertake. Alfie does this through the use of QCA items and the questions are mapped to the specific area of the curriculum. Therefore teachers can be sure that their assessments are valid and fit for purpose.
Reliability
An assessment should provide an accurate reflection of a learner's performance. Alfie does this by consistent marking, reporting and providing reliable results to both the learner and the teacher.
Effectiveness
Assessment should be part of the learning process. "Deep" learning only occurs when a learner truly understand the concepts being taught therefore assessment should be thought of as assessment "for learning" rather than assessment "of learning". Alfie plays an important role in this approach by supporting "Assessment for Learning" and the pedagogical approach of supporting learners at the point of need.
Consistency
Unlike humans, computers have an accurate way of ensuring consistency. Alfie marks and analyses each answer and provides detailed reports. It never tires and no matter how many times you undertake an assessment it will never get bored.
Equal Opportunity and Accessibility
Assessments should reflect the diversity that you have in your class and the capabilities of learners. Using Alfie teachers can tailor assessments to match the needs of their learners and make assessments available to students that would otherwise be unable to undertake paper based assessments.
Practicability
Undertaking an assessment should be straight forward, simple and be supportive of the learner’s needs. Using Alfie learners are provided with on screen help and tools such as calculators to complete their work. They can suspend their work, for example during break times or change their settings to allow for visual impairment. Best of all Alfie provides instant feedback that provides "I can do..." statements that both encourage and motivate learners.
