W '  INTERNATIONAL 
m l JOURNAL OF LITERACY 
W  EDUCATION (IJLE)
VOLUME 10 JUNE 2021 ■  ISSN: 07951389
A Publication of the 
DEPARTMENT OF ADULT EDUCATION, 
University of Ibadan, Nigeria
IBADAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
vn
Content pages
1. Action Plan for Implementing the Strategic Priority Areas l 
of UNESCO's New Literacy Strategy [2020-2025] in 
Nigeria
Prof.K. O. OjokhetaandEdeh John OnimisiPhD
2. Advocating Correctional Centre Reforms for Overcoming 22 
• Jailbreaks in N igeria
Williams, BabajideAgboolaPhD
,3. Mobile Phones and Non-Violence Conflict Promotion 35 
among Undergraduate Students of University of Ibadan, 
Nigeria
F.A. Akinkunmi andL. A. Akintola
4. The Perception of Community Security Personnel on the 52 
role of Literacy Programmes for Promoting Sustainable 
Peace in Rivers State, Nigeria
Omeje Mercy Ebere and Prof. Adekola Ganiyu
5. Environmental Adult Education Programmes as Strategies 65 
for Combating the Effects of Illicit Oil Activities in Selected 
Local Government Areas of Rivers State, Nigeria 
Bell-Gam, Roseline Soprinye, M. O. A. Ezimah, PhD and C.
L. Eheazu, PhD
6. School Indices as Correlates of Pupils' Motivation towards 80 
Learning in Junior Secondary Schools in Lagos State, 
Nigeria
Ileuma Senimetu PhD andAgboola Olufunke Omolara PhD
7. Effects of Reinforcement on the Academic Performance of 92 
Learners of English as a Second Language in Awka 
Educational Zone of Anambra State, Nigeria
Joy Eyisi, Philomena Elom, Joy Eyisi Jr., Frank Onuh, and 
Chinonso Okolo
8. The Spread of Online Fake News and Its implication 111
for Reputation Management
Oloyede, K. Esq., Chvolabi, S. S. andOyinadejobi O. S
9. Accessibility, Knowledge Acquisition and Acceptability of 134 
L earn ing  M anagem ent System s am ong Young 
Undergraduates in University of Lagos, Nigeria
Blessing EgbichiAnyikwa and Samuel OlufemiAdeniyi
IBADAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
VU1
10. The Role of Training and Retraining Programmes in 152 
Enhancing the Effectiveness of Facilitators in Adult Literacy 
Education Programmes in Nigeria
Prof. (Mrs) Caroline O. Olomukoro andS. O. Olawale
11. Economical Use of the News Media by Artisan and 171 
Entrepreneurs for Improvement living standard in Nigeria 
Prof. A. A. Sarumi andO. V. Adaja
12. Peer Pressure, Time Management and Academic 186 
Performance of Female Secondary School Pupils in 
Ibadan Metropolis, Oyo State, Nigeria
Ukpabi, Ihezie Donatus, PhD.
13. COVID-19 Awareness and Preventive Information 202 
Utilisation among Rural Community Dwellers in Ogun 
State, Nigeria
Adeniyi,A. PhDandAderogba, K. PhD
14. Comparative Effectiveness of Two Methods of Teaching 223 
Reading to Adult Learners in a Basic Literacy Programme in 
IbadanLand, Oyo State, Nigeria
Joseph E. Bassey
15. Integrating Innovative Learning Assessment Approaches in 239 
Nigeria's Tertiary Education System
Adegbite, O. O. andMuibi, T. G. PhD
16. Analysing the Elements of Peace Education in Secondary 250 
School Curriculum in Osun State, Nigeria: The Outcome of
a Study
Dr. Adeola Ogunrin
17. Effective Use of Radio for Development of Literacy 274 
Education in Nigeria
Okemakinde, Sunday O. PhD
18. Exploring the Strategies for Construction of Citizens’ -291 
Targeted ehavioural Change Messages in English Language
in Nigeria.
Oladipo Adeleye Olubodun PhD,
19. Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Family Planning 308 
among Married Women in Akinyele Local Government, 
Oyo State, Nigeria
U. C. OSUPhD
IBADAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
International Journal of Literacy Education Vol. 10, No. 1
Integrating Innovative Learning Assessment Approaches in Nigeria’s Tertiary Education
System
*Adegbite, O. O. and **Muibi, T. G. PhD
*Department of General Studies
Federal College of Animal Health & Production Technology Ibadan, Nigeria
**Department of Adult Education, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
Abstract
This paper examined the need for integrating innovative learning assessment approaches to
improve tertiary education standard in Nigeria arising from the increasing demands for technical
competencies, analytical thinking, problem-solving, communication, risk-taking, and
entrepreneurial skills. The paper argued that the present adopted learning assessment approaches
in Nigeria’s tertiary education system are deficient in producing graduates with these skills. It
therefore advocated the need for innovative learning assessment approaches in tertiary education
system in Nigeria. It began with a discussion of the requirements of contemporary world of work
and the need to prepare tertiary institutions students to acquire such skills. It also dissected the
learning assessment approaches in tertiary institutions in Nigeria and extensively discussed the
deficiencies inherent in the approaches. The paper recommended various innovative approaches
that can be adopted to improve Nigeria’s tertiary education system and concluded that tertiary
institutions in Nigeria should integrate these approaches so as to produce graduates who possess
skills required in today’s world of work.
Keywords: Nigeria’s Tertiary Education System, Innovative Learning Assessment Approaches,
Assessment for learning, Assessment as learning, Assessment of learning
Introduction
Education is important for the maintenance and development of human life. Therefore, the world
of learning could be viewed as an institutionalized arrangement that aims at equipping learners
with skills and knowledge that enable them to contribute positively before and after graduation,
in their personal lives and at a workplace and in a society at large (Akarowhe 2018:1). Therefore,
education and employment should go hand in hand and thus, school graduation should mark a
transition of a learner from the world of learning to the world of work that employs and provides
such a graduate with monetary capacity to improve his or her standard of living ((Akarowhe
2018:1).
Despite these observations, there is a general concern that in many educational systems of the
world, teaching and assessment have shifted away from the needs in the world of learners. There
is a large gap between what learners are engaged in while at school and their needs for real life
contexts, in the present or in the future world (Anamuah-Mensah & Towse 1995; Stevenson,
1995; Muskin, 1997; Tabron & Yang, 1997). For example, in one study, Anamuah-Mensah,
Asabere-Ameyaw and Dennis (2007) established that the view among students, teachers and
parents was that schools put emphasis on the preparation of learners for further education, with
the focus on academic knowledge and the pursuit of success in national examinations, and that
there was, little emphasis on citizenship and the development of a responsible attitude to life in
the community at the local, regional or national level, employment opportunities in the informal
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sector including self-employment but emphasized on employment in the formal sector with its
implied emphasis on white collar jobs.
According to Anamuah-Mensah, Asabere-Ameyaw and Dennis (ibid), the mismatch between
what learners do at school and their knowledge needs for their real world is particularly observed
in the educational systems in the less-developed countries. Akarowhe (2018:1), who also holds
the same view, indicates that in the less developed countries, particularly in Africa and Nigeria
inclusive, there is a gap between the world of learning and the world of work. As a result, many
graduates are unable to apply what they have acquired from the world of learning to perform
effectively and efficiently at the workplace. Accordingly, this situation has left many employers
in doubt of the capabilities of the world of learning to produce graduates that contribute
positively to institutionalized setups (private and public/government organization, establishment,
and parastatals) and the Nigerian society. In this case, assessment procedures are germane in the
process, therefore, the need for new paradigms for assessing learners’ performance in the new
normal world towards achieving graduates that are self-reliant, productive and worthy citizens.
The Concept and Importance of Learners’ Assessment in Formal Education System
Van den Akker (2003) described assessment as essential component of the curriculum practice.
Assessment is a process for obtaining information in curriculum operation in order to make
decisions about student learning, curriculum and programmes, and on education policy matters.
Because of this, educators strongly suggest that assessment and curriculum integrated in the
continuous cycle of curriculum planning, operation, implementation, and evaluation. For
example, the attained curriculum both the experienced and the learned are determined by
assessment procedures. Assessment procedures in formative ways could also help in the
operation of the curriculum. Instructors make a number of decisions. These include managing
instruction, assessing student competence, placing students to levels of education programmes,
assigning grades to students, guiding and counseling, selecting students for education
opportunities, certifying competence and so on.
AlonsoTapia & Garrido-Hernansaiz (2017:171) submit that there are two perspectives about
assessment: The test culture, whose main objective is to identify how much knowledge has been
“put” in the learner’s mind (assessment “of” learning), and the assessment culture, which
provides both the teacher and learner with information in order to overcome perceived
difficulties and to self-regulate learning (assessment “for” learning). Muskin (2017:15) proposes
that continuous assessment comprises a combination of summative (assessment of learning) and
formative (assessment for learning) assessments. Assessment should engross learners
completely and purposefully in their learning. In addition, “assessment must measure what
matters” as ‘what matters’ may vary from one context to the next (Muskin, 2017:15).
Assessment methods should enable progress in all important learning goals to be facilitated and
reported (Muskin, 2017:15-16). Alonso-Tapia & Garrido-Hernansaiz (2017:171) note that
teachers who approach assessment in this manner, who utilize various types of assessment and
who offer quality and constructive feedback, will positively affect learners’ efforts.
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Assessment is a vital and an integral part of the teaching and learning process. It provides
feedback to all education stakeholders. It further promotes and monitors learners’ learning
progress (Curriculum Development Council and The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment
Authority, 2014:41). Assessment is one of the factors that influence learners’ motivation to learn.
Since assessment has an impact on learners’ interest and effort to learn (Alonso-Tapia &
Garrido-Hernansaiz, 2017), it is imperative that teachers be cognizant of the most suitable
assessment procedures. In directing instruction, assessment is a means to diagnose learning
difficulties; it helps the instructor identify the learner’s areas of strength and weakness so that
he/she plans instruction to build on the one and remediate the other in formal and informal ways.
Secondly, assessment provides feedback about success of a study programme. Information from
the assessment of student learning utilized in program evaluation (Pratt, 1998). Thirdly,
assessment reports individual learning achievements or grades for various parties including
students, parents, education institutes to which students may apply for admission, potential
employers, occupational, and professional licensing bodies. As stated by Nitko (2004), results
from classroom learning activities, quizzes, tests, class projects, assignment papers, informal
observations on how well the student has attained the intended learning targets can be used to
grade students for a lesson, or unit, a marking period, or course.
Moreover, assessment directs students to instructional priorities and influences their approach to
experience course curriculum. Informal teacher questions, tests, and examinations indicate
students, which parts of the curriculum have priority. For instance, if tests examine trivial
information, learners focus becomes on learning strategies aimed at factual recall and recognition
of knowledge. Students change their approach of curriculum perception and experience for tests
requiring substantive knowledge and deep understanding. Furthermore, assessment is also useful
in enhancing student motivation, self-concept, and sense of self efficacy. When assessment,
designed to produce real success in student learning and curriculum experience, frequent use
stimulates student confidence and willingness to learn.
To ascertain the level of understanding or knowledge acquired by learners, appropriate tools or
mechanisms that give a representation of what the learners already know with respect to set
instructional aims, goals or objectives must be utilised. Assessment involves the techniques,
tools, methods or mechanisms employed by evaluators to measure, and document the academic
readiness, learning progress, skill acquisition, or educational needs of students. It also gives a
representation of the existing state of an observable phenomenon. In the classroom environment,
the teacher is expected to elicit responses from the students, by way of obtaining feedback as
regards the approaches, methods or techniques employed in the class.
Assessment as a major subset of evaluation, oftentimes involves decision making, judgment of
worth, amount, number, or value of something. Evaluation is a systematic determination of the
merit, worth and significance of something, using laid down criteria governed by a set of
standards and usually acceptable by those involved in the decision making process. However,
both assessment and evaluation do not exist in isolation; they co-exist. Also, for a decision to be
made, an accurate representation of the object, item or commodity to be judged must be
measured. Thus, assessment involves measurement, a way of obtaining numerical equivalence of
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the worth of an item. Usually associated with measurement is a test, a set of stimuli presented to
respondents.
Assessments are often associated with traditional tests typically designed to measure specific
elements of learning or instruction. The former can entail evaluating the level of knowledge or
skills students already have of what the teacher plans to teach. They may help to identify
individual student’s weaknesses and strengths either formative or summative. In formative
assessment, the teacher is solely interested in the level of knowledge the learners have prior to
presentation of a new lesson or it may be for the teacher to get a picture of the effectiveness of an
on-going programme. Summative assessments are given at the end of a programme to get
feedback about the success levels of a program. Summative assessment has become routine and
has influenced the focus and contents of tests. Results from large-scale summative assessments,
along with other measures of achievement, are regularly used to determine whether students can
advance to the next class, and to judge the quality of schools, instructions and educators. Other
forms of assessment include diagnostic, dynamic, synoptic, criterion referenced, teacher-made,
standardized, and summative assessment (Oluchi, 2018).
The Present Adopted Learning Assessment Approaches in Nigeria’s Tertiary Education
System
The present adopted learning assessment approaches in Nigeria’s tertiary education system can
be regarded as traditional methods of assessing students’ learning and mastery of particular
courses such as arts, science, social science and education generally involve assembling a series
of teacher-made tests with items or questions relating to the subject matter taught and requiring
the student to recollect content knowledge in answer to the questions. Depending on the subject,
candidates may be required to provide an explanation or to perform calculations. In the main,
such tests are either of a subjective essay type sometimes with choice options, or are of an
objective structured response type, requiring the students to select an answer from a limited
number of choice options (Amuche & Solomon 2015).
In traditional assessment, most teachers set assessment tasks that encourage a narrow
instrumental approach to learning emphasizing the reproduction of what is presented, at the
expense of critical thinking, deep understanding, and independent activity (Filer, 2003). Also,
most teachers, however, do believe and use pencil-and paper tests as the only assessment
procedure to be used. Classroom assessment has historically been viewed as an issue more
closely aligned with curriculum and instruction than with measurement theory, because
measurement professionals are more interested in issues of test development and technical
qualities of tests than in classroom assessment. These traditional methods of assessment do not
readily measure in a consistent manner the students’ reasoning and creativity, nor does the
assessment go beyond mere regurgitation of the immediately learned materials. Application of
acquired knowledge to new factual situations is a rarity. Perhaps with the exception of
promotional tests or certificate examinations, the traditional tests are usually not considered as
challenging by students. As stated by Smith (2003) and Shepard (2001), at present, there is a
trend of moving away from traditional measures of classroom assessment toward variety of new
approaches that are more closely linked to instructional practices and less closely linked to
concerns s for technical quality of assessment procedures such as reliability and validity.
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The Shortcomings in the Learning Assessment Approaches in Nigeria’s Tertiary Education
System
One of the unfortunate implications of the traditional assessment practices is over-concentration
of efforts on cognitive knowledge and perhaps few of psycho-motor skills to the utter neglect of
values and other affective details that lead to the education of the total person. The effect on the
outputs of education has accentuated rather than stemmed the tide of the persistent problems of
the Nigerian society such as inequity, injustice, poverty, unemployment, hunger and disease,
violence, bloodshed and terrorism, pollution and degradation of the environment. Therefore,
there is a need for innovative approaches for assessing the working knowledge level of students
in the subjects they have learned employing readily measurable criteria in a way that retains the
students’ interest and ensures the objectivity as much as possible of the teacher's evaluation of
the student responses.
The traditional assessment perspectives, based on behaviourist theories of learning and
conventional psychometric principles conflict with implications of assessment for learning
represented by the emerging cognitive and constructivist learning paradigms. According to
Wright et.al (1997) Performance assessment, portfolios, authentic assessment, student self-
assessment and peer assessment are considered as procedures that align with current
constructivist theories of learning and teaching. In order to have salient contributions to the
curriculum implementation process, assessment procedures should define what students regard
important in the learning, how they spend time, and how they come to see themselves as students.
Often times, students complain on assessment procedures used by their instructors. They
reported that curriculum is not shaping the assessment; rather assessment is always shaping
curriculum implementation and embodying the purpose of higher education. As a result, students
fail to experience the intended curriculum as a whole. Many of students’ comments in relation to
assessment were about utility of feedback and comments on assessed work, which in most cases
fell below their expectations. An investigation made by James (2003) indicated that a number of
major effects were associated with the act of being assessed, including serious consequences for
students’ self-perception and levels of confidence. The investigation also revealed that, for many
students, the focus of disappointment was lack of information to base decisions about what they
should do differently in order to raise level of their competence and marks in assessed work. For
others the concern is in identifying what they should do to achieve high marks. End of course
examinations are rarely discussed or made available so that students could use them to improve
their knowledge and skills.
As identified by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2009) cited in Arikewuyo (2017) current
paper and pencil based tests fall short in several key ways:
 The tests are not designed to gauge how well students apply what they know to new
situations or evaluate how students might use technologies to solve problems or
communicate ideas.
 While teachers and schools are being asked to modify their practices based on
standardized test data, traditional tests are not designed to help teachers make decisions
about how to assess their daily instructions.
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 Current testing systems are rarely designed to measure a school or district’s contribution
to a learner’s total education history.
Integrating Innovative Approaches in Learning Assessment in Nigeria’s Tertiary
Education System
Integrating innovative learning assessment approach for Assessing Learners Performance in the
21st Century according to Shute and Becker (2010) asks practitioners to rethink the way
assessment is conducted and competencies are defined, particularly placing the assessment
process in the context of lifelong learning across the cognitive, affective and psychomotor
domains. Ordinarily, innovative assessment could be any form of assessment which involves the
application of a new technique or method. But as argued by Mowl, McDowell and Brown (1996)
innovative assessment should be considered in terms of its characteristics and its mission.
It encompasses a whole range of different techniques and methods, not all of which are new
inventions but with a new thrust to improve the quality of student learning. Assessment is
innovative when it becomes not just something which is 'done to' learners but also 'done with'
and 'done by' learners (Harris & Bell, 1990). The emphasis shifts from assessment associated
with the end-product of the learning process to formative evaluation of learners’ range of skills
during the learning process. Doubtless, innovative assessment strategies can facilitate learning on
several levels.
Thus, by developing innovative assessment strategies, teachers can simulate real life situations
that combine all three domains while developing critical thinking skills and building confidence.
It therefore becomes a challenge for Nigerian teachers of the 21st Century to evolve alternative
evaluation tools that can, not only alleviate test anxiety and performance anxiety which are
instrumental to reliance on examination malpractice but also produce graduates that are self-
reliant, productive and worthy citizens (Amuche & Solomon 2015).
This particular innovative is in line with one of the World Economic Forum: Future of Jobs
Report 2018 findings stated that “there is the need for reskilling and upskilling that by 2022, no
less than 54% of all employees will require significant re- and upskilling. Of these, about 35%
are expected to require additional training of up to six months, 9% will require reskilling lasting
six to 12 months, while 10% will require additional skills training of more than a year. Skills
continuing to grow in prominence by 2022 include analytical thinking and innovation as well as
active learning and learning strategies.
Sharply increasing importance of skills such as technology design and programming highlights
the growing demand for various forms of technology competency identified by employers
surveyed for this report. Proficiency in new technologies is only one part of the 2022 skills
equation, however, as ‘human’ skills such as creativity, originality and initiative, critical thinking,
persuasion and negotiation will likewise retain or increase their value, as will attention to detail,
resilience, flexibility and complex problem-solving. Emotional intelligence, leadership and social
influence as well as service orientation also see an outsized increase in demand relative to their
current prominence”.
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It was also identified in the report the insufficient reskilling and upskilling as one of its key
findings where employers indicate that they are set to prioritize and focus their re- and upskilling
efforts on employees currently performing high-value roles as a way of strengthening their
enterprise’s strategic capacity, with 54% and 53% of companies, respectively, stating they intend
to target employees in key roles and in frontline roles which will be using relevant new
technologies. In addition, 41% of employers are set to focus their reskilling provision on high-
performing employees while a much smaller proportion of 33% stated that they would prioritize
at-risk employees in role expected to be the most affected by technological disruption. In other
words, those most in need of reskilling and upskilling are least likely to receive such training.
(Source: The World Economic Forum2018).
Justifications for the Innovative Learning Assessment Approaches into Nigeria’s Tertiary
Education System in Contemporary World of Work
Based on technological advancements, the teaching and learning processes have gradually
witnessed a transition from the traditional teacher-dominated classrooms to the all-inclusive
setting. The outcome of the traditional school is a widening gap between the knowledge, skills
students are acquiring in schools and the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the
increasingly global, technology infused 21st century workplace. While current assessment
measures knowledge of core content areas such as language arts, mathematics, science and social
studies, there is a comparative lack of assessments and analyses focused on 21st century skills
(Oluchi, 2018).
In recent times, students do not fully rely on their teachers for instruction. The presence of digital
technology has affected the teaching and learning situation. Lecture notes, study materials,
learning resources among others are readily available online. Students can also form study
groups over the internet, since distance is no longer a barrier to learning. The emergence of new
technologies has been revolutionary by giving people more access, choice and power (Oluchi,
2018).
Social media, also called Web 2.0 based applications, include online chat forums, wikis, blogs,
social networking sites, among others. These platforms make knowledge sharing easy and
unobtrusive for the user. As opined by Mondahl and Razmerita (2014), the former facilitate
communication, sharing of information and online socialization. Web 2.0 users may easily
express or share their opinions, ‘think by writing’, seek others’ opinions and feedback and be
connected with the others. Furthermore, multimedia production in the forms of audio (for
example, podcasting using mobile technology) or video (video-conferencing, YouTube)
continues to grow and offer new opportunities for teaching, learning and assessment (Mondahl
and Razmerita 2014.)
The digital age presents the educational sector an avenue to utilize learning materials, which
were not easily assessable in the traditional era. Teachers are no longer referred to as the sole
custodians of knowledge, but as facilitators (Arikewuyo, 2017). Various teaching approaches
have been developed to cater for these changing trends in the educational setting, and some of
these techniques or approaches include; cooperative learning and constructivism,
project/experimentation among others. The emphasis of learning in the digital world is solely
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centered on pragmatism, utilitarianism, and experimentation. Thus, hands-on and practical
activities are fully encouraged by schools (Oluchi, 2018).
Examples of Learners Assessment Approaches from Other Lands
Based on the comprehensive perceptions and objectives of learning assessment in recent times in
the world of work in most advanced countries of the world, it is imperatives to recommend that
Nigeria government can adopt some of the innovative learning assessment approaches in some of
the following countries initiatives:
Australia Initiative
In Australia at the federal level the Curriculum Corporation developed resources although each
Australian state and territory adopted its own approach to assessment for learning. Curriculum
Corporation also published a practical guide to assessment for learning entitled ‘Improving
Student Achievement’ (Glasson, 2009). This guide highlighted the differentiated roles of the
teacher and the student under the assessment for learning umbrella as articulated by Lorna Earl
(Earl, 2003). Drawing on classroom examples the collective experiences of international
researchers were brought together with the aim of illustrating to Australian teachers the variety
of assessment for learning strategies and providing suggestions for teachers’ further professional
learning. Assessment for learning, assessment as learning and assessment of learning are
approaches that can be used individually or together, formally or informally, to gather evidence
about student achievement and to improve student learning.
(http://syllabus.bos.nsw.edu.au/support-materials/ assessment-for-as-and-of-learning/)
Teachers in NSW are informed that the common elements of assessment as learning strategies
and assessment for learning include self-assessment, peer assessment, strategies for students to
actively monitor and evaluate their own learning, and feedback (together with evidence, to help
teachers and students decide whether students are ready for the next phase of learning or whether
they need further learning experiences to consolidate their knowledge, understanding and skills).
It is suggested to teachers that these approaches will help them and their students know if current
understanding is a suitable basis for future learning. Specifically, assessment for learning is
described to teachers as integral to the teaching and learning process and as central for clarifying
student learning and understanding. The use of evidence by teachers regarding students’
knowledge, understanding and skills to inform their teaching is considered to be important. The
key characteristics of assessment for learning have been interpreted and presented to teachers in
NSW as follows:
 a view of learning in which assessment helps students learn better rather than just achieve
a better mark;
 involve formal and informal assessment activities as part of learning and to inform the
planning of future learning;
 include clear goals for the learning activity;
 provide effective feedback that motivates the learner and can lead to improvement;
 reflect a belief that all students can improve;
 encourage self-assessment and peer assessment as part of the regular classroom routines;
 involve teachers, students and parents reflecting on evidence; and
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 inclusive of all learners. (http://syllabus.bos.nsw.edu.au/support-materials/assessment-
for-as-and-of-learning/).
The centrality of assessment for learning to learning and teaching, and practices that involve the
students in the assessment process, are emphasized.
Canada
In Canada, across provincial assessment policies, there is an explicit articulation of the value and
benefits of integrating assessment for and as learning into classroom teaching and learning (e.g.,
Alberta Assessment Consortium, 2005; British Columbia Ministry of Education, 2004; Ontario
Ministry of Education, 2010a; see www.CAfLN.ca/resources for complete listing). These
policies emphasize that assessment for learning supports students’ growth toward educational
standards while assessment as learning cultivates students’ autonomy, self-regulation and general
learning skills. Underpinning these policies is the assertion that supporting the ability of students
to learn (that is, assessment as learning) will accelerate learning, increase summative assessment
results, and contribute to lifelong learning commitments.
However, despite provincial policies aimed at assessment for and as learning, several researchers
have noticed gaps in the capacity of teachers to implement rigorous assessment for and as
learning programs in their classrooms (DeLuca et al., 2012; Klinger et al., 2012). These gaps are
attributed to challenges related to teacher professional learning opportunities in assessment,
practical barriers (e.g., time, class size, resources), and limited research on the nuances of
integrating assessment for learning in diverse classroom contexts. As a result of these challenges,
several Canadian provinces have engaged in various initiatives to support teachers’ integration of
assessment for learning. For example, since 1999 Alberta school districts have been provided
with provincial funding to engage in cyclical professional development projects aimed at
improving student learning and performance, with many of these projects focused on assessment
for learning. Ultimately, these projects are intended to build capacity in assessment at classroom
and school levels with results shared provincial to encourage systemic adoption of assessment
for learning (Townsend et al., 2010).
Overall, assessment for learning is taking hold as a key feature of educational assessment
programmes in Canada. Classroom assessment policies that integrate and explain assessment for
and as learning are evident across the provinces. Significant efforts are currently being made to
support teachers and school administrators in interpreting and implementing these policies and
assessment priorities. However, additional research is needed on professional learning structures
that support teachers most effectively in this process as well as continued research on the ways
assessment for learning is operationalized and integrated across curricular areas, disciplines, and
diverse student learning groups. Ultimately, there is a concerted effort across the majority of
provinces to integrate assessment for learning to support teacher learning and effectiveness,
informed school decision-making and district priorities and, most importantly, to enhance
student learning across Canada.
Republic of Ireland
Current developments. The agency of the learner, and an intentional blurring of boundaries are
two features of the current wave of junior cycle reform. Although this reform was the focus of a
year-long consultation process, it effectively began in October 2012 with the announcement by
the Minister for Education and Skills of a new Framework for Junior Cycle and the phasing out
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of the Junior Certificate examination by 2020. This Framework for Junior Cycle is noteworthy,
as a contemporary curriculum and assessment policy document, for the almost complete absence
of any reference to assessment for learning. ‘Formative’ and ‘summative’ are used, but as
purposes for, rather than types of assessment; and both of these, it is proposed, should serve and
promote learning (DES, 2012, p.18). This focus on learning and the exclusion of the assessment
for learning label is an attempt to respond, at least in part, to Swaffield’s 2009 critique of what
she termed the ‘(mis)interpretation of assessment for learning as a teacher driven mechanism for
advancing students up a prescribed ladder of subject attainment’ (Swaffield, 2009: 6), and the
lack of attention paid to learning and to the central role of the learner in that process. It is also an
attempt to move beyond the initial assessment for learning developmental project and its focus
on teacher action to reflect the emphasis on student agency in the 2007 Primary Assessment lines.
The intention is to build sustainable assessment cultures in schools whereby teachers develop
specific assessment design capabilities as well as informed standards-referenced judgment
practice. The latter extends to the use of stated standards (called ‘expectations for learners’ in the
Framework for Junior Cycle) in teachers coming together for professional conversations for
moderating student work. In turn, students develop knowledge about and expertise in using
standards for self-assessment and improvement purposes. Given earlier discussions about current
assessment practice and policy, this is a long term project. It will entail a concerted focus on
shifting the assessment gaze of teachers, students and the public away from the terminal
examination as the sole or only trustworthy arbiter of quality for junior cycle education. It will
also entail a new valuing of teacher judgment, informed by system checks and balances, to
maintain public confidence in the education system. In the new junior cycle, all assessment
should be for learning, and learning should be for students and for teachers.
Israel
Evolution and impact of assessment for learning on school systems. For over a decade in Israel
research group has been studying implementation of assessment for learning in different
elementary and middle school contexts in order to identify school-based conditions that support
and those that constrain proper assessment for learning implementations. The findings pointed to
the critical role of school-based professional learning communities in advancing teachers’
assessment for learning practices (Birenbaum et al., 2009, 2011), thus corroborating research
findings from the UK and Canada (James et al., 2007; Pedder and Opfer 2011; Earl and Katz,
2006). The research identified similarities between cycles of assessment in classroom
(assessment for learning) and in school-based professional learning communities (inquiry into
practice) as well as in their respective cultures. Furthermore, they underscored the school’s
assessment culture as a key component. A forthcoming paper (Birenbaum, 2014) offers a
conceptualization of the assessment culture from a complexity framework, viewing it as a
complex system in which two other complex systems (student learning and teacher learning) are
nested. By means of ongoing reciprocal relations among the three systems learning emerges and
a mindset, which they termed ‘assessment for learning mindset’, evolves. The attributes of this
mindset, which were identified in schools with assessment culture where assessment for learning
was successfully implemented, seem to define the ‘spirit of assessment for learning’ that is
claimed to be missing from common implementations of assessment for learning, causing into
fail to fulfill its potential to promote learning (Marshal & Drummond, 2006).
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Moreover, establishing meaningful connections between goals and practices (of instruction,
learning and assessment) as well as supporting networking within and between schools including
their stakeholders, would advance what Fullan (2011) terms ‘systemness’ or ‘coherent
wholeness’. Under such conditions assessment culture is likely to sprout in schools and in
teacher and preservice teachers. Respectively, the Ministry of Education has recently issued an
outline for a professional development programme for in-service teachers, which consists of
three assessments for learning related modules (formal assessment for learning, informal
assessment for learning, and school-based professional learning) (Birenbaum, 2013). Likewise,
teacher-training institutes enabling assessment for learning to fulfill its potential to promote
meaningful learning among students and teachers.
Conclusion and Recommendations
In integrating innovative approaches in learning assessment there is the need to considered the
following recommendations in order to achieve the major five assessment components as
identified by Wright et.al (1997) Performance assessment, portfolios, authentic assessment,
student self-assessment and peer assessment which are considered as procedures that align with
current constructivist theories of learning and teaching:
 Identification of authentic learning needs: Learning needs that are identified must be
real and relevant to the learners’ world.
 Learner involvement: Learners must be involved learning experiences which are real
and that can solve their life problems;
 Well-defined problem: Learners should be involved in challenging tasks that have
layers that need to be completed in order to solve the problem;
 Sustained investigation: Learners should be given project tasks that that require time
and that cannot be solved in a matter of minutes or hours;
 Multiple sources and perspectives: Leaners should use resources that are theoretical or
practical, and that require them to judge information for relevance;
 Collaboration: Learners should be encouraged to build social connections and networks
in the process of task completion and these should be sustained beyond the study project.
 Reflection: Learners should be encouraged to reflect on their own learning and
challenges they encountered in problem-solving process and make choices of strategies
and tools for solving future challenges.
 An interdisciplinary perspective: learners are engaged in tasks that were not limited to
a single subject or topic, but that made use of knowledge and skills from across
disciplines.
 Integrated assessment: Formative assessment is woven seamlessly into tasks and
activities and was used purposefully by learners and teachers alike.
 Polished products: learners’ activities and tasks should lead to the creation and
completion of a product.
 Multiple interpretations and outcomes: learners should be guided to discover that there
are many possible solutions and answers to the problem.
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Based on all discussion above, it is clear that the main purpose of education system of a
particular nation is to provide the right’ strategies, conditions and incentives to motivate, equip
and guide teachers and other educators to teach to the full curriculum and the entire range of
learning objectives and competencies, motivating students to learn to know, to do, to be together
and to be within a dynamic SDG world rather than narrowing the curriculum primarily to ‘teach
to the test’ and thereby produce rote learners and consumers of information with limited other
competencies. This largely depends on solid systemic capacity, articulating, strengthening and
coordinating the interests and impacts of all ministerial units (and even of other sectors) and all
concerned the capacity to create and administer learning assessments and to analyze and use the
results to improve teaching and learning to the system’s success in ensuring that students leave
school with the knowledge and competencies that society requires of them. As the world moves
further into the 21st Century, the nature of these assets are becoming ever more diverse, complex
and important, as reflected in the new SDGs and EFA commitments. Achieving this capacity
and using assessment not just as a thermometer but to contribute to rich, precise and relevant
diagnoses of what students are and are not learning and how systems can function better to
improve these results will require reflection and actions by all education stakeholders in Nigeria.
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