Making to measure? Reconsidering assessment in professional continuing education

Drawing on studies of teachers, accountants and pharmacists conducted in Canada, this essay examines models for assessing professional learning that currently enjoy widespread use in continuing education. These models include professional growth plans, self-administered tests, and learning logs, and they are often used for regulatory as well as developmental purposes by professional associations. The essay argues what others have critiqued about such self-assessment models: that their assumptions about learning are problematic and limiting in a number of respects, privileging human consciousness and intention, and literally ‘making’ a particular professional subject that is atomised and conservative. The essay goes on to suggest alternative perspectives that are receiving increasing attention in theorising work-related learning and that may offer fruitful questions for re-considering the nature of professional learning and its assessment. Three perspectives in particular are outlined, all of which shift the focus from the learning subject to practice as material, emergent and systemic: complexity theory, actor-network theory and cultural-historical activity theory. The discussion concludes with possible approaches to assessment of professional practice suggested by these perspectives

The Use of Data across Countries: Development and Application of a Data Use Framework

Part 1: Why Do We Need New Educational Management Information Systems?International audiencePromising evidence exists that data-based decision-making can result in improvements in student achievement [1], but studies, e.g. [2], show that many schools do not use data properly. Support in the use of data is urgently needed. This chapter focuses on the design of a professional development course in the use of data. In the first phase of the project, case studies were conducted in five participating countries (England, Germany, The Netherlands, Poland and Lithuania) to develop a common data use framework. In the next phase, in two schools in each of the countries, a data use needs assessment was conducted using a survey. Finally, a professional development course was developed and implemented. Results of each of the phases are discussed in this paper