ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION OF QUALITY - Galya Mateva
The Unit discusses aspects of evaluation and assessment of quality processes in education. Part one starts by differentiating between the two concepts. In most cases evaluation is concerned with the effectiveness and efficiency of educational processes, programmes and materials. Assessment usually measures the degree of achievement of individual learners or institutions and often relates its results to test norms and sets of criteria.
The understanding of the two concepts is further clarified by presenting basic types of evaluation and assessment and relating them to various educational contexts. Special attention is paid to the Common European Framework of Reference where proficiency assessment, i.e. assessment of students` linguistic and communicative competence in real life situations, is of paramount importance. Self-assessment is given a priority status in relation to the European Language Portfolio and its wider applications.
Assessment is also highlighted in the context of appraising staff performance (appraisal systems) in quality driven institutions.
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Part two deals with types of evaluation procedures which guarantee quality. It concentrates on aspects of quality assurance and quality control and the ways these are implemented in language institutions across Europe.
See also: Benchmarking and Validation
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