Certificate in School Assessment

Overview

 

This programme seeks to provide participants with a strong grounding in both the theories and methods of assessment so that they can conceptualise and review assessment practices. It also seeks to develop the capabilities of participants to lead and drive good assessment practices in schools. Thus, the aims of the programme are:

  • Deepen participants’ knowledge and understanding of the general process of educational assessment, its key concepts, principles and techniques;
  • Enhance their skills in designing, enacting, interpreting and contextualizing assessment and learning;
  • Enable them to examine relationships in, and between, different learning theories and assessment paradigms;
  • Increase their capacities to examine, critique, and drive assessment and learning practices within and beyond schools

This programme is for educators who meet the following entry requirements:

  1. a degree (applicants without a degree will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis)*, and
  2. a minimum of two years of teaching experience.

* For applicants without a degree, a Selection Committee comprised of members from LSA and PCHD Departments will review and select the applicants based on the following criteria:

  1. Educators should possess at least a Diploma in Education, and
  2. A strong letter of support from the Principal/organisation

This Certificate consists of three courses totaling 8 academic units (AUs) which is equivalent to 104 hours.

Course CodeTitleNo. of AUs
IPC1000
Assessment Principles and Methods3
ILA1000Theories & Perspectives of Assessment & Learning3
ILA1001Leading School Assessment Change 2

For its course description, please see below.

CourseDescription
IPC1000 Assessment Principles and Methods
This course introduces participants to the general process of educational assessment and the key concepts, principles, and techniques of assessment. Topics covered include the assessment design for conventional and alternative assessments; concepts of validity, reliability and fairness; current issues and trends in assessment. This course will involve short lectures, discussions, experiential learning tasks and small group presentations. Participants will have opportunities to discuss relevant issues in assessment.
ILA1000 Theories & Perspectives of Assessment & Learning
This course is built on three increasingly complex roles that participants can play with regards to assessment: (1) as gate-keeper (of good assessment practices); (2) as game strategist (leveraging impactful assessment for better learning); (3) as game-changer (who brings about change in their context). It invites participants to examine the roles of learning and assessment in schools and beyond, and revolves around the thesis that learning and assessment are dialectical in nature. Such a premise underscores the rationale of studying assessment and learning conjunctively in any education context. Course participants will be led to explore the relationships in, and between, different learning theories and assessment paradigms. It will also offer opportunities for participants to critically analyse the assessment practices, both their own and back in their contexts. Lastly, the course examines the theory and practice of assessment leadership.
ILA1001 Leading School Assessment Change
This course seeks to prepare you to take on the role of Assessment champions in school. It has an application and pragmatic focus. Under mentoring by NIE faculty, you will learn to apply the skills and knowledge from the course work in an actual school setting.

Application is through the Academy of Singapore Teachers, based on nomination by the school Principal.

For enquiry on course administration, please e-mail: [email protected].