Background
Although more learning data have become available in sub-Saharan Africa countries over the past two decades, this availability has not led to their effective use for educational planning. In addition, despite the increasing attention that this topic receives internationally, a deeper understanding of what is driving the use of learning data is still missing. The need to address this gap prompted IIEP-UNESCO to launch a qualitative multi-case study to examine how and why countries in sub-Saharan Africa use learning assessment data in the education planning cycle. It sought to raise awareness on the complex dynamics that underlie processes of learning data use and increase attention to aspects less addressed in the available literature. Six countries participated in the study: the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Namibia, Senegal, and Zambia.
This webinar is the second session of a three-part series aiming to present the findings of the study, following the release of the IIEP-UNESCO publications on the topic. It will delve into examples of existing assessment policies and the conditions for their successful implementation. It will also discuss the institutionalization of assessments, exploring different institutional settings, and touch upon the issue of coherence among policies related to assessments, curriculum, teacher training and education management information systems (EMIS).
The webinar addressed the following questions:
- What role do assessment policies play in the management of learning assessment data?
- What elements should be considered in an assessment policy and how to ensure its effective implementation?
- What institutional settings exist for the units in charge of the management of learning data and what implications does the setting have for the use of learning data?
You can find more information about the series and key study findings in the concept note.
The series is supported by an online discussion forum on Slack for participants to exchange and discuss prior to and proceeding the sessions, as well as share useful resources.
Agenda
Opening remarks: Michaela Martin, acting team leader, Research & Development Team, IIEP-UNESCO
Institutionalization of assessments: lessons for the use of assessment data, Ieva Raudonyte and Tuamanaia Foimapafisi
This presentation will address the issue of the lack of articulation and coherence between learning assessments. It will show that assessment policies are often missing, or they are not fully enforced. It will then turn to the advantages and disadvantages of the different institutional settings in the countries studied, as well as their possible implications in terms of the use of assessment data.
The assessment policy in the Gambia, Modou Touray
The presentation will focus on the Assessment Policy developed in the Gambia. It will examine the objectives of this policy, as well as the process of its development. Its features and alignment with other national policies will be explored before looking into the impact it has in order to draw lessons for countries wishing to develop an assessment policy.
The right data for the right purpose, Sarah Richardson
This presentation will focus on common myths in the use of assessment data, selection of the right data for the right purpose and planning solutions identified by assessment data based on ACER’s work on the theme.
As a discussant, Davide Ruscelli will provide comments based on the Teaching and Learning: Educators’ Network for Transformation (TALENT) policy brief ‘The effective use of large-scale learning assessments to improve learning outcomes and education system reform’ and a mapping on the state of national learning assessment systems in sub-Saharan Africa.
Q&A session with the audience.
The session will be moderated by Michaela Martin.
About the speakers
Michaela Martin is an acting team leader of the IIEP Research and Development team. She has specialized over the past twenty years in selected areas of higher education policy making, planning and management, both at the systems and the institutional levels. She has been specifically working on flexible learning pathways in higher education, the Internal and external quality assurance in higher education, indicator systems for higher education, management of university-enterprise partnerships, tertiary education in small states, management of higher education institutions.
Ieva Raudonyte is an Associate Research Officer in the IIEP Research and Development team. She contributes to research activities related to the use of learning assessment data and the broader theme of teaching and learning. More specifically, she coordinates the IIEP’s research programme on the use of learning assessment data in the planning cycle and contributes to IIEP’s Learning Portal activities.
Tuamanaia Foimapafisi is an Education consultant. She contributed to the implementation of the research programme on the use of learning assessment data at IIEP-UNESCO. Prior to this, she was a research assistant in a study of racial discrimination in New Caledonia.
Modou Touray is an educationist who has worked as a qualified classroom teacher for several years before joining the Assessment Unit of the Gambia Ministry of Basic & Secondary Education (MoBSE). As a lead staff, Modou has been assigned critical functions to support and train head teachers and teachers on various aspects related to assessments. His core function at this Assessment Unit is to help head teachers and teachers make good use of assessment data to improve teaching and learning. Modou has participated in various education research studies for the MoBSE. His work on assessment data has enabled the MoBSE to strengthen various policies aimed at improving education quality in the Gambia.
Dr Sarah Richardson is a global education expert with 28 years’ experience in the education sector around the world. She is currently the Deputy CEO and Research Director of ACER UK, coordinating a team of researchers in the London office of ACER. She moved to this role from India, where she was the Research Director in the New Delhi office of ACER between 2016 and 2019, leading a team of researchers to undertake research and evaluation activities in South Asia. Key areas of research for Dr Richardson include large scale student learning outcomes assessment, student learning, teacher training, international education, graduate employability and learning outcomes. Dr Richardson has led projects for clients including UNICEF, the World Bank, the OECD, the APEC Secretariat, the British Council and the Australian Government as well as other national governments and educational organisations. Before commencing her research career, Dr Richardson was an English teacher for 12 years. She has a PhD in Political Science and Education from the University of Melbourne. Dr Richardson gives numerous conference presentations and has also published widely, including books, journal articles and reports. Her most recent book was published by Routledge in 2016 and is entitled ‘Cosmopolitan Learning for a Global Era: Higher Education in an Interconnected World’.
Davide Ruscelli is a Project Manager at UNESCO Dakar. He is currently ensuring the interim of the ‘teaching and learning’ cluster of the UNESCO multi-sectoral Dakar Office and he coordinates the TALENT Secretariat, a task team of the Regional Coordination Group (RCG4) of SDG4. Prior to joining UNESCO, Davide worked in UNICEF Malawi focusing mainly on education systems’ strengthening at national and decentralized levels.
Resources
ACER (Australian Council for Educational Research); UIS (UNESCO Institute for Statistics). 2017. Principles of good practice in learning assessment. Melbourne: ACER.
Bodin, M. 2021. The Use of learning assessment data: Zambia. Information sheet. Paris: IIEP-UNESCO.
Raudonyte, I.; Bodin, M. 2021. The use of learning assessment data: Zambia. Policy brief. Paris: IIEP-UNESCO.
Raudonyte, I. 2021. The Use of learning assessment data: The Gambia. Information sheet. Paris: IIEP-UNESCO.
Raudonyte, I. 2020. The use of learning assessment data: The Gambia. Policy brief. Paris: IIEP-UNESCO.
TALENT (Teaching and Learning Educators’ Network for Transformation) (Brink, S.). 2020. Effective use of large-scale learning assessments to improve learning outcomes and the education system reform. Policy brief. Dakar : UNESCO Office Dakar and Regional Bureau for Education in Africa.
TALENT (Varly, P.). 2020. Learning assessments in sub-Saharan Africa. Analytic report No 1.
Additional resources are also available in the Slack discussion forum.