Page 67 - E-book 2012-13 final draft
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點亮 Enlightening Teaching & Research
教研
Assessment Reform in Hong Kong those days determined opportunities for students’ next stage of
education, such as entrance to universities. As pointed out by my
knowledgeable colleagues at the Institute, in particular Dr. Rita Berry
A friend who was studying for her PhD (2011), and Dr. Christina Yu, Professor Kerry Kennedy, Dr. Ping Kwan
degree at Oxford University told me that she had Fok, and Dr. Christine Chan (2006), since the large-scale education
Professor Mok just finished a meeting with her dissertation panel reform introduced by the government in 2000, assessment has
Magdalena Mo Ching on her PhD research. She said, “They met with taken on new meanings. Assessment reform in Hong Kong aims to
Chair Professor me for two full days, carefully going through with strengthen alignment between the learning goals and what is being
Assessment Research me my research questions, research plan and assessed. It also aims to capitalise on the rich information generated
Centre design, and the analyses that could be deployed from assessment for the enhancement of teaching and learning,
Department of to address my research questions.” “Was that a the so-called assessment for learning, and to empower students
Psychological Studies Viva?” I was curious – never heard of a two-day to take charge of their own learning in goal setting, planning, self-
Viva before. “It must be torturous!” I thought monitoring, and self-evaluation, or what is called "assessment as
to myself. “No,” she replied pleasantly, “Actually, learning" by Professor Lorna Earl (2003) of the Ontario Institute for
it was part of the assessment process which Studies in Education.
lasted for about one full year. The dissertation
panel helped me to produce the best dissertation Assessment reform is by no means an easy path. At a
and they literally walked with me this path to recent workshop series entitled, Reforming School Assessment
academia.” “How refreshing! How did it happen?” Culture Under New Academic Structure: Workshop Series for
“Well, it is just a tradition of the university. School Leaders on New Academic Structure 2013 (abbreviated NSS
Assessment comes from the word assidere, which Workshop Series), there was strong consensus among participants
means ‘to sit by’ and has its origin from the time regarding challenges faced by schools in implementing assessment
when an assessor used to sit beside the candidate reform at senior secondary levels, and over 70 secondary schools
in order to work out together how much tax is to highlighted the following four issues to be the main difficulties at
be paid.” I was certainly intrigued. Sitting by the their respective schools, namely,
candidate to clarify what is required in meeting
the standards and to support the candidate to 1. Difficulties in setting assessment tasks
reach the highest quality in the PhD research. due to increased student diversity in their learning
That is exactly how an assessment should be like! capacities;
2. Difficulties in engendering a school culture of
Historically in Hong Kong, assessment providing high quality feedback to students;
took the form of high stake examinations 3. Unable to master the roles to be played by
administered to students at the end of key teachers in facilitating learning and assessment, and
stages of their learning. Examination results in 4. Unable to optimally use qualitative and
52 53
教研
Assessment Reform in Hong Kong those days determined opportunities for students’ next stage of
education, such as entrance to universities. As pointed out by my
knowledgeable colleagues at the Institute, in particular Dr. Rita Berry
A friend who was studying for her PhD (2011), and Dr. Christina Yu, Professor Kerry Kennedy, Dr. Ping Kwan
degree at Oxford University told me that she had Fok, and Dr. Christine Chan (2006), since the large-scale education
Professor Mok just finished a meeting with her dissertation panel reform introduced by the government in 2000, assessment has
Magdalena Mo Ching on her PhD research. She said, “They met with taken on new meanings. Assessment reform in Hong Kong aims to
Chair Professor me for two full days, carefully going through with strengthen alignment between the learning goals and what is being
Assessment Research me my research questions, research plan and assessed. It also aims to capitalise on the rich information generated
Centre design, and the analyses that could be deployed from assessment for the enhancement of teaching and learning,
Department of to address my research questions.” “Was that a the so-called assessment for learning, and to empower students
Psychological Studies Viva?” I was curious – never heard of a two-day to take charge of their own learning in goal setting, planning, self-
Viva before. “It must be torturous!” I thought monitoring, and self-evaluation, or what is called "assessment as
to myself. “No,” she replied pleasantly, “Actually, learning" by Professor Lorna Earl (2003) of the Ontario Institute for
it was part of the assessment process which Studies in Education.
lasted for about one full year. The dissertation
panel helped me to produce the best dissertation Assessment reform is by no means an easy path. At a
and they literally walked with me this path to recent workshop series entitled, Reforming School Assessment
academia.” “How refreshing! How did it happen?” Culture Under New Academic Structure: Workshop Series for
“Well, it is just a tradition of the university. School Leaders on New Academic Structure 2013 (abbreviated NSS
Assessment comes from the word assidere, which Workshop Series), there was strong consensus among participants
means ‘to sit by’ and has its origin from the time regarding challenges faced by schools in implementing assessment
when an assessor used to sit beside the candidate reform at senior secondary levels, and over 70 secondary schools
in order to work out together how much tax is to highlighted the following four issues to be the main difficulties at
be paid.” I was certainly intrigued. Sitting by the their respective schools, namely,
candidate to clarify what is required in meeting
the standards and to support the candidate to 1. Difficulties in setting assessment tasks
reach the highest quality in the PhD research. due to increased student diversity in their learning
That is exactly how an assessment should be like! capacities;
2. Difficulties in engendering a school culture of
Historically in Hong Kong, assessment providing high quality feedback to students;
took the form of high stake examinations 3. Unable to master the roles to be played by
administered to students at the end of key teachers in facilitating learning and assessment, and
stages of their learning. Examination results in 4. Unable to optimally use qualitative and
52 53
