This chapter examines the challenges and possibilities of assessment practices in Initial Teacher... more This chapter examines the challenges and possibilities of assessment practices in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programs. Informed by Bakhtin (1986), speech genres, dialogic approaches and a democratic lens to assessment, the chapter questions the nature and purpose of assessment considering the COVID-19 pandemic. New understanding of the concept of 'relationality' through pandemic experience provides opportunities for 'democratic' assessment is perceived as a point of departure in the learning process for both students and teachers, and not a destination. This perspective incorporates students' diverse voices and agency and encourages assessment practices to promote not only instrumental aspects of learning, but also the epistemological and ontological layers of learning and being. Though this conceptual interrogation can be applied to any educational context across programs locally and globally, the focus is on ITE in the Australian context, due to the important role of pre-service teachers in creating and designing assessment practices. The chapter provides case study a example that enabled pre-service teachers to play an active and influential role in the development of assessment artefacts and practices. It concludes by projecting opportunities and challenges to teaching and research practices, locally and globally. Keywords Dialogic approach • Democratic assessment • Relationality • Initial teacher education 6.1 Introduction This chapter examines the challenges and possibilities of assessment practises in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The chapter questions the nature and purpose of assessment in higher education and explores how insights emerged from pandemic times inform what next practices might entail. In essence, the dominant perception of assessment is challenged, usually defined as
It is a requirement for pre-service students in Initial Teacher Education programs in Australia t... more It is a requirement for pre-service students in Initial Teacher Education programs in Australia to successfully complete a teaching performance assessment (TPA) before they graduate. This follows similar requirements in other international contexts, particularly the United States, where standard-based assessment is also a focus. As members of the design team of a TPA, which was affirmed by a nationally appointed Expert Advisory Group in Australia, we examine the social processes contributing to the development of a high-stakes assessment task. Significant challenges emerged through the nature of the task and the responsibility developers had for ensuring validity and fairness, but also because the design team comprised of teacher educators from ten universities. Using collaborative self-study as a methodology we examine our reflexive narratives and find that collaborative leadership and key personal dispositions are at the heart of the design process. These enable us to identify, ex...
This chapter examines the challenges and possibilities of assessment practices in Initial Teacher... more This chapter examines the challenges and possibilities of assessment practices in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programs. Informed by Bakhtin (1986), speech genres, dialogic approaches and a democratic lens to assessment, the chapter questions the nature and purpose of assessment considering the COVID-19 pandemic. New understanding of the concept of 'relationality' through pandemic experience provides opportunities for 'democratic' assessment is perceived as a point of departure in the learning process for both students and teachers, and not a destination. This perspective incorporates students' diverse voices and agency and encourages assessment practices to promote not only instrumental aspects of learning, but also the epistemological and ontological layers of learning and being. Though this conceptual interrogation can be applied to any educational context across programs locally and globally, the focus is on ITE in the Australian context, due to the important role of pre-service teachers in creating and designing assessment practices. The chapter provides case study a example that enabled pre-service teachers to play an active and influential role in the development of assessment artefacts and practices. It concludes by projecting opportunities and challenges to teaching and research practices, locally and globally. Keywords Dialogic approach • Democratic assessment • Relationality • Initial teacher education 6.1 Introduction This chapter examines the challenges and possibilities of assessment practises in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The chapter questions the nature and purpose of assessment in higher education and explores how insights emerged from pandemic times inform what next practices might entail. In essence, the dominant perception of assessment is challenged, usually defined as
It is a requirement for pre-service students in Initial Teacher Education programs in Australia t... more It is a requirement for pre-service students in Initial Teacher Education programs in Australia to successfully complete a teaching performance assessment (TPA) before they graduate. This follows similar requirements in other international contexts, particularly the United States, where standard-based assessment is also a focus. As members of the design team of a TPA, which was affirmed by a nationally appointed Expert Advisory Group in Australia, we examine the social processes contributing to the development of a high-stakes assessment task. Significant challenges emerged through the nature of the task and the responsibility developers had for ensuring validity and fairness, but also because the design team comprised of teacher educators from ten universities. Using collaborative self-study as a methodology we examine our reflexive narratives and find that collaborative leadership and key personal dispositions are at the heart of the design process. These enable us to identify, ex...
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Papers by Nadine Crane