Activating Assessment for Learning: Are We on the Way with Web 2.0?

Theoretical Drivers For Influences On Assessment

It is difficult to differentiate or separate assessment from learning, and when we start to investigate the theoretical influences on assessment it is not unreasonable to expect them to be more strongly tied to learning theories than is often found to be the case. This is because developments in assessment have been largely driven by measurement techniques that can account for the validity and reliability of large-scale testing programs, rather than provide students with feedback that will assist them with future learning scenarios. The latter notion is referred to in this chapter as “advice for action.” On the other hand, the way in which knowledge creation has been defined and understood has had far-reaching consequences for the way in which education has been delivered (Case, 1996). Consequently, it has affected pedagogical strategies, but often theoretical positions have not been thoroughly worked out at the level of student assessment.