Unit information: Assessment in School Mathematics in 2013/14

Unit name	Assessment in School Mathematics
Unit code	EDUCM5302
Credit points	20
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director	Professor. Alf Coles
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	School of Education
Faculty	Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

Description including Unit Aims

This unit considers the relationship between teaching and assessment in school mathematics and examines critically recent and current developments in mathematics assessment .It will consider the benefits and costs of various methods of assessment in school mathematics and study the role of assessment in mathematics in the National Curriculum of the UK and within other school mathematics cultures. The key issues in assessment as a formative tool to support learning will be examined.

Aims:

• To evaluate current methods of assessment in school mathematics.

• To examine possible future developments in assessment in school mathematics

• To enable participants to develop their understanding in key areas of personal professional interest.

Intended Learning Outcomes

After taking this unit, the student should:

• be aware of a range of important issues within the field of assessment in school mathematics

• have critically reviewed research and other writings in an aspect of assessment to develop a seminar presentation

• have presented material to gain feedback and developed academic writing through this process.

• be able to organise material for presentation.

• be able to develop ideas through presentation and feedback.

• have practised working with others through contribution to and leading discussions.

Teaching Information

Sessions will be of two types: those involving activities using reading and other source material to examine key current issues in the assessment of mathematics and those in which course participants lead seminars on topic of their choice. These will be guided by discussion between participants and the course tutor. A tutorial is offered for discussion of the assignment.

The needs of a wide range of students, including those with disabilities, international students and those from ethnic minority backgrounds have been considered. It is not anticipated that the teaching and assessment methods used will cause disadvantage to any person taking the unit. The Graduate School of Education is happy to address individual support requests as necessary.

Assessment Information

Course participants will lead a seminar and then submit a written account, of 3000 words, of their research topic. This will be informed by discussion during the seminar and wider reading. There will therefore be opportunities for formative assessment, modelling ideas presented in the unit’s content.

Reading and References

Black, P (1998) Testing: Friend or Foe? London: Falmer

Black, P, Harrison, C, Lee, C, Marshall, B, Wiliam, D (2003) Assessment for Learning: Putting it into Practice Maidenhead: OUP

Weeden, P, Winter, J and Broadfoot, P (2002) Assessment: What’s in it for schools? London: RoutledgeFalmer

Assessment in Education (journal)

For the Learning of Mathematics (journal)

Journal for Research in Mathematics Education (journal)