Some Terms and Definitions

Assessment
The gathering and analysis of information about the abilities, needs, interests, learning styles, and achievements of learners.(7) Literacy practitioners make judgments which assist them in setting and revising learning goals, informing learners of their progress and identifying the successful completion of goals as set out in the training plan. Assessment is a joint activity, conducted by literacy practitioners in co-operation with learners.(8)

Common Assessment
The use by Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) agencies of comparable assessment tools and approaches, based upon the common language of learning outcomes. It does not refer to the use of a standardized, common assessment tool.

This approach provides a method for comparing assessment results and establishing their portability among LBS agencies. Common assessment also facilitates communication about the achievements of learners with other stakeholders of the LBS program, such as training programs and employers.(9)

Demonstrations
A formal method of ongoing and exit assessment. Demonstrations provide the learner with the opportunity to apply several skills to a real life task. Demonstration activities must be grounded in the needs, goals and priorities of learners.(10) A demonstration is different from a learning activity because it includes an assessment component and it requires a learner to be able to transfer learning to another task.

Demonstrations are usually developed by staff members who have experience and training in literacy assessment. In some programs, however, volunteer tutors help develop demonstrations because they are aware of the skills the learner is working on. The learner should also participate in developing the demonstration. For example, she (11) can choose how she would like to demonstrate her new learning.

For more information about demonstrations, refer to On the Level, written by Lindsay Kennedy and published by CLO.