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This course uses evidence-informed frameworks to guide you to develop your skills and effectiveness in gathering, evaluating, prioritising, integrating and analysing data (from international standardised tests to qualitative teacher records) to inform your teaching and learning.

What will I learn?

This course will explore the underlying philosophy and rationale for using data-driven decision making under the philosophical framework of assessment to support learning. Key approaches and problems in classroom implementation will be critically analysed including their implications for the role of teachers and students and the conflicts between classroom assessment and large-scale testing for school accountability. It will build teachers knowledge, skills and confidence in assessment, data literacy, and decision-making to effectively support student learning.This course will deepen your understanding about the relationships of your assessment literacy, data literacy and decision-making to ensure effective learning and teaching.

You will:

1. Identify, describe and critically evaluate the key assumptions underlying assessment, data use and decision-making.
2. Evaluate key theoretical, practical and sociocultural problems and approaches in assessment, data use, and decision-making, in particular debates around trustworthiness and consistency.
3. Reflect on your practices and identify key areas for further improvement.

How will I learn?

This course will be delivered 100% online and includes live Zoom lectures. Whilst students are encouraged to attend all live lectures, they are not compulsory and will be recorded and uploaded for viewing after each session. The course will run across 5 weeks for a total of 25 hours (including independent study).

Who should take this course?

This course is ideal for all teachers, irrespective of their disciplinary background.

As a faculty, we are committed to ensuring our short courses are accessible to individuals or groups who are experiencing financial disadvantage. Discounted registration prices are available. Please contact the ADA Short Courses team via email at ada.sc@unsw.edu.au if you would like to discuss discount rates. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case bases.

Who is leading this course?

Dr Dennis Alonzo

Dennis is a test and scale developer, program evaluator, curriculum designer, and applied statistician. His area of interest revolves around Assessment for Learning (AfL) particularly in supporting teachers to make highly contextualised, consistent, fair and trustworthy assessment decisions to effectively support student learning. He has been involved in a number of international and national research projects. 

Dennis also researches on a broad range of topics including student IT experiences, blended and online learning, standards-based assessment, and learning analytics to help inform curriculum design, professional development and policy. He has received various scholarships from the Philippines and Australian governments and a public diplomacy scholarship from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea. He was a former Dean of Education of the University of Southeastern Philippines before joining UNSW.

Microcredential:

Students who complete this course can then undertake further assessment in a microcredential unit for Recognition of Prior Learning for postgraduate study.