University of Western Australia
Eighteen teachers from Hong Kong primary and secondary schools have travelled to Perth to take part in a pioneering initiative focused on assessment literacy developed by academics in The University of Western Australia’s Graduate School of Education.
"This initiative underscores our commitment to harness the collective knowledge of our school, providing a rich learning experience for the participants."
Associate Professor Elaine Chapman, UWA Graduate School of Education
The goal of the program, designed by Associate Professor Elaine Chapman and Professor Tanya Fitzgerald, Dean of the Graduate School of Education, is to enhance teachers’ understanding and application of assessment principles, a critical component in today’s educational landscape.
Central to the course is the newly developed AARDVARC model of assessment literacy, crafted by Associate Professor Chapman.
The new model integrates key assessment concepts into a cohesive framework, ensuring tasks are aligned, authentic, reliability-promoting, developmental, validity-promoting, accessible, realistic and constructive.
“While the elements of the model are longstanding concepts in the assessment literature, in the AARDVARC model, they are integrated into a cohesive approach to the design of assessment tasks,” Associate Professor Chapman said.
Image: The Hong Kong delegation will spend time in four Perth schools.
During their stay, the visiting teachers will immerse themselves in the practices of four Perth schools: St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls, Shenton College, Carine Senior High School and St Mark’s Anglican Community School.
“These visits will provide participants with an authentic perspective on how innovative assessment techniques are used in Australian schools,” Professor Fitzgerald said.
Associate Professor Chapman said the course also represented a unique collaboration within UWA, involving 12 staff members who would each bring their expertise to the in-person workshops.
The staff members contributing their expertise were Professor Mark Pegrum, Associate Professors Grace Oakley, Lyndon Lim and Sonia Ferns, Drs. Jan Dook, Jennifer Shand, Wei Zhang, Rajinder Kaur, Ms Rachel Wicking, and Ms Sarah Malu.
“This initiative underscores our commitment to harness the collective knowledge of our school, providing a rich learning experience for the participants,” Associate Professor Chapman said.
All participants will give presentations at a Capstone conference held at Trinity College, to showcase the proposed innovations in assessment they develop during the course.
Upon returning to Hong Kong, the teachers will lead innovative assessment projects in their own schools based on these proposals, sharing the knowledge and skills acquired during their time in Perth.