Tag: assessment

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Assessor judgements and everyday worker performance

Author: Hilary Timma, Recently completed PhD studies, The University of Melbourne

Edition: Volume 45, Number 2, July 2005

Summary:  The subjective nature of assessment focuses attention on the prior perceptions that workplace assessors can bring to formal assessment activities, regarding the competence of workers. This paper draws on a study into workplace learning and assessment practices and the construction of worker identities, which was conducted at three food production companies in North East Victoria. The paper proposes that, rather than concentrating principally on planned, formal assessment activities to determine the competence of workers, workplaces could develop an alternative approach and support assessors to utilize (and make publicly justifiable), the prior perceptions they have regarding workers’ skills and abilities on-the-job and include these in the overall assessment.

Keywords: assessment, workplace assessor, competence, formal

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Recognition of prior learning— Normative assessment or co-construction of preferred identities?

Author/s: Jen Hamer

Edition: Volume 50, Number 1, April 2010

Summary: Recognition of prior learning (RPL) has been an important element of Australia’s Vocational Education and Training (VET) policy since it was officially adopted as a key national principle in 1991 (VEETAC 1991, cited in Wilson and Lilly 1996:2). The aim of RPL is to formally assess a person’s skills gained through life and work experience, in order to award credit towards nationally recognised qualifications. It is an integral part of access and equity strategies, which are designed to ‘improve access to and outcomes from vocational education and training for disadvantaged groups’ (Smith & Keating 1997: 38). However, limited attention has been paid to the operations of power within the assessor-candidate relationship. This paper raises questions about the perspective of RPL as a selfevidently benign activity and describes concerns regarding its application. It uses postmodern theories of identity and a philosophy of recognition to propose an understanding of the potential impacts of RPL and invite new assessment practices to advance its emancipatory goals.

Keywords: rpl, normative, assessment

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This article is part of AJAL, Volume 50_1. The entire volume is available in .pdf for purchase here.