Assessment Materials Online
Assessment research has some key messages for education practitioners. In this series, we speak to experts from academia and practice to identify the central issues and provide some top tips on assessment matters.
Please feel free to share the links widely.
1) Understanding Formative Assessment & Giving Good Feedback
In this film we hear from Professor Gordon Stobart (UCL), Associate Professor Victoria Elliott (Oxford University), Daisy Christodoulou (No More Marking), and Natalie Usher (Oxford University). They discuss the importance of formative assessment and how to give students good feedback. (23 mins)
To cite this video:
Oxford University Centre for Educational Assessment. (2024). Formative Assessment and Good Feedback [Video]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/943679625
A follow-up reading for practitioners:
Boyd, E., Green, A., Hopfenbeck, T.N. and Stobart, G. (n.d.) Effective Feedback: the key to successful Assessment for Learning. Oxford University Press.
Some references mentioned in the video:
Johnston, P. (2023). Choice words: How our language affects children’s learning. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781032680835
Gamlem, S. & Smith, K. (2013) Student perceptions of classroom feedback. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy and Practice, 20(2), 150-169 https://doi.org/10.1080/0969594x.2012.749212
Boud, D. & Molloy, E. (2013). Feedback in higher and professional education: understanding it and doing it well. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203074336
Winstone, N. E. & Carless, D. (2018). Designing effective feedback processes in higher education: a learning-focused approach. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351115940
Carless, D. & Boud, D. (2018). The development of student feedback literacy: Enabling uptake of feedback. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 43 (8), 1315-1325 https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2018.1463354
Here, we hear from Associate Professor Michelle Meadows (Oxford University), Dr Ed Wolfe (Pearson) and Anne Pinot de Moira (Consultant). They discuss the importance of marking reliability, problems in producing it and ways of making assessment more reliable, including through good mark scheme design. (35 mins)
To cite this video:
Oxford University Centre for Educational Assessment. (2024). Marking and mark schemes [Video]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/949058668
A follow-up reading for practitioners:
Tisi J., Whitehouse, G., Maughan S. and Burdett, N. (2013). A Review of Literature on Marking Reliability Research (Report for Ofqual ). Slough: NFER.
Some references mentioned in the video:
American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, & National Council on Measurement in Education. (2014). Standards for educational and psychological testing. Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association https://www.testingstandards.net/open-access-files.html
Rhead, S. & Black, B. (2018). Marking consistency metrics – an update. Ofqual report. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5bfbfd70e5274a0fb775cca3/Marking_consistency_metrics_-_an_update_-_FINAL64492.pdf
Fearnley, A. (2005). An investigation of targeted double marking for GCSE and GCE. AQA paper produced for the National Assessment Agency. https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/id/eprint/9450/1/QCDA104979_an_investigation_of_targeted_double_marking_for_GCSE_and_GCE.pdf
Wolfe, E. W. & Wendler, C. L. (2020). Why should we care about human raters? Applied Measurement in Education, 33(3), 189-190. https://doi.org/10.1080/08957347.2020.1750407
On arguably the most important topic in assessment, Professors Gordon Stobart (UCL), Dylan Wiliam (UCL), Tom Haladyna (Arizona State University) and Jennifer Randall (University of Michigan) cut through the complex literature on the validity of assessment scores and give us their views on what matters. (39 mins)
To cite this video:
Oxford University Centre for Educational Assessment. (2024). Validity of assessment [Video]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/954723837
A follow-up reading for practitioners:
Newton, P. E. (2016). Macro- and micro-validation: Beyond the ‘Five sources’ framework for classifying validation evidence and analysis. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 21, 12. Retrieved from
Fischer, C., Pardos, Z. A., Baker, R. S., Williams, J. J., Smyth, P., Yu, R., Slater, S., Baker, R., & Warschauer, M. (2020). Mining Big Data in Education: Affordances and Challenges. Review of Research in Education, 44(1), 130–160. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X20903304
Some references mentioned in the video:
American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, & National Council on Measurement in Education. (2014). Standards for educational and psychological testing. Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association. https://www.testingstandards.net/open-access-files.html
Messick, S. (1989). Validity. In R. Linn (Ed.) Educational Measurement (3rd ed., pp13-104). Macmillan Publishing Group. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-3992.1995.tb00881.x
Mislevy, R. J., & Haertel, G. D. (2006). Implications of evidence-centered design for educational testing. Educational measurement: issues and practice, 25(4), 6-20. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-3992.2006.00075.x
Almond, R., Steinberg, L., & Mislevy, R. (2002). Enhancing the design and delivery of assessment systems: A four-process architecture. The Journal of Technology, Learning and Assessment, 1(5) https://ejournals.bc.edu/index.php/jtla/article/view/1671/1509
Solano-Flores, G. (2023). How serious are we about fairness in testing and how far we willing to go? A response to Randall and Bennett with reflections about the standards for educational and psychological testing. Educational Assessment 28(2), 105-117. https://doi.org/10.1080/10627197.2023.2226388
Randall, J., Slomp, D., Poe, M., & Oliveri, M. E. (2022). Disrupting white supremacy in assessment: Towards a justice-oriented, antiracist validity framework. Educational Assessment, 27(2), 170-178. https://doi.org/10.1080/10627197.2022.2042682
Combining different assessment types for greater insights. Blog by Daisy Christodoulou on 28 September 2023 (QR code given). https://substack.nomoremarking.com/p/using-innovative-assessments-to-improve.
What are the promises of digital assessment and have they been delivered? Professors Rebecca Eynon (Oxford University), Alina von Davier (Duolingo), and Art Graesser (University of Memphis) address these issues and discuss the future of digital assessment. (30 mins)
To cite this video:
Oxford University Centre for Educational Assessment. (2024). Digital assessment [Video]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/976527870.
A follow-up reading:
Fischer, C., Pardos, Z. A., Baker, R. S., Williams, J. J., Smyth, P., Yu, R., Slater, S., Baker, R., & Warschauer, M. (2020). Mining Big Data in Education: Affordances and Challenges. Review of Research in Education, 44(1), 130–160. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X20903304
Some references mentioned in the video:
Shute, V. J. (2011) Stealth Assessment in Computer-Based Games to Support Learning in Computer Games and Instruction, Information Age Publishing https://myweb.fsu.edu/vshute/pdf/shute%20pres_h.pdf
Ofqual (2020) Online and on-screen assessment in high stakes, sessional qualifications: a review into the barriers to great adoption and how these might be overcome. Ofqual. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5fd361b7e90e0766326f7f6e/Barriers_to_online_111220.pdf
Understanding assessment, or assessment literacy, can be daunting for practitioners. Professors Christopher DeLuca (Queen’s University, Canada), Anil Kanjee (Tshwane University, South Africa), Leslie Rutkowski (Indiana University, USA) and Daisy Christodoulou (No More Marking, England) discuss what teachers and other stakeholders need to know, the common misconceptions and what could be done to remedy them. (36 mins)
To cite this video:
Oxford University Centre for Educational Assessment. (2024). Assessment Literacy [Video]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/991529197.
A follow-up reading:
Ramollo, J. K., & Kanjee, A. (2023). Supporting teachers to develop formative assessment knowledge and skills in no-fee schools. South African Journal of Childhood Education, 13(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v13i1.1247
Some references mentioned in the video:
DeLuca, C., LaPointe-McEwan, D. & Luhanga, U. (2016) Teacher assessment literacy: a review of international standards and measures. Educ Asse Eval Acc 28, 251–272. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11092-015-9233-6
Brookhart, S. M. (2011). Educational Assessment Knowledge and Skills for Teachers. Educational Measurement, Issues and Practice, 30(1), 3–12. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-3992.2010.00195.x
Chetty, R., Friedman, J. N., & Rockoff, J. E. (2011). The Long-Term Impacts of Teachers: Teacher Value-Added and Student Outcomes in Adulthood. National Bureau of Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.3386/w17699
Roth, B., Becker, N., Romeyke, S., Schäfer, S., Domnick, F., & Spinath, F. M. (2015). Intelligence and school grades: A meta-analysis. Intelligence (Norwood), 53, 118–137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2015.09.002
Rutkowski, D. & Rutkowski, L. (nd) What teachers can’t and can learn from international assessments. Centre for Educational Measurement, University of Oslo. https://www.uv.uio.no/cemo/english/about/news-events-and-publications/publications/documents/working-paper-david-and-leslie-rutkowski-(2)-june-2016.pdf
Writing good assessments is one of the hurdles to assessment quality. Emeritus Professor Tom Haladyna (Arizona State University, USA), Zeek Sweiry (Ofqual, UK) and Yasmine El Masri (Ofqual, UK) cover topics such as deciding which assessment format to use, how to write good multiple choice questions and pitfalls to look out for and avoiding bias in assessment design. (40 mins)
To cite this video:
Oxford University Centre for Educational Assessment. (2024). Item Writing [Video]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/999088094
Some references mentioned in the video:
Rodriguez, M.C. (2005), Three Options Are Optimal for Multiple-Choice Items: A Meta-Analysis of 80 Years of Research. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 24: 3-13. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-3992.2005.00006.x
The Gibberish Test (PDF): https://www.southampton.ac.uk/~assets/doc/cite-moocs/FutureLearn%20info/FL%20training%20day%203%20social%20learning%2024%20June%202013/4.-MCQ-Exemplars.pdf
El Masri, Y., Baird, J.-A., & Graesser, A. (2016). Language effects in international testing: the case of PISA 2006 science items. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969594x.2016.1218323
Holland, P. W., & Wainer, H. (1993). Differential item functioning. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. https://doi.org/10.1177/014662169301700113
International Test Commission website: https://www.intestcom.org/
Coming shortly Fairness
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This video series was funded by Oxford University’s Teaching Development and Enhancement fund. Further members of the project team: Ali Ahmed, Warda Arif and Jonathan Tridgell.
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