BibTeX
@MISC{Knight_bookreviews,
author = {Peter Knight and Mantz Yorke},
title = {Book Reviews Assessment, Learning and Employability},
year = {}
}
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Abstract
As a distinguished contributor noted at a recent conference on e-learning, ‘in addressing the challenges of learning and teaching, academics have become too preoccupied with the how, to the neglect of the why’. It is therefore particularly refreshing to review a book that addresses both, and does it well. There is no doubt that ‘employability ’ is the critical pedagogic leitmotif and there is no shortage of copy addressing this agenda. However, as far as I’m aware, this is the first book to undertake a concerted exploration of the policy and practical implications of addressing the employability agenda for the curriculum and, in particular, for assessment. The determination of the appropriateness of assessment practices is placed firmly in the context of a consideration of assessment purposes and assessment theory. The authors set their exploration in the context of what some might regard as the antipathetic relationship between employability and traditional academic values. They argue strongly and convincingly, in my view, that there is no necessary opposition between these two goals. They exemplify this in the text itself with a rigorous, scholarly exploration of the policy and intellectual issues, applied in a professional way to a thorough consideration of the implications of employability for the instruments of practice. The preface and introductory chapter provide a succinct and informative (yet familiar) overview of the increased demands faced by higher education, the role of higher education in the economy and a rationale for the focus on skills and employability. Models for an ‘employability-aware curriculum ’ are reviewed and the challenges that enhancing employability places, particularly on modular schemes, are considered. The implications for summative assessment are identified and it is suggested that the concept of employability focuses the spotlight on the inherent problems of assessment. If higher education is expected to deliver a wider range of achievements, then how can we ensure that assessment meets this greater challenge and supports learning?
Keyphrases
book review assessment inherent problem concerted exploration traditional academic value introductory chapter employability-aware curriculum antipathetic relationship assessment purpose first book assessment theory employability place wider range practical implication assessment practice professional way distinguished contributor scholarly exploration assessment meet thorough consideration employability agenda critical pedagogic leitmotif modular scheme necessary opposition intellectual issue recent conference summative assessment
