Assessment for employability: Is synoptic assessment the answer?

Alan Johnston; Lyn  Johnston

doi:10.59400/fes.v2i2.543

Assessment for employability: Is synoptic assessment the answer?

Alan Johnston York Business School, York St John University, York YO31 7EX, UK
Lyn Johnston Early Years and Education, York College, York YO23 2BB, UK

Article ID: 543

149 Views, 75 PDF Downloads

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59400/fes.v2i2.543

Keywords: assessment; synoptic; teaching and learning; student engagement; employability

Abstract

The production of job-ready graduates remains one of the key requests of the business community. The purpose of this paper is to re-examine the importance of assessment in developing employability skills and in making graduates more employable. One criticism often levied at higher education institutions is that students understand ideas in subject context but cannot transfer that knowledge into a holistic business context. As such, they have silo ‘mentality’; to be successful in the modern complex working and business environment, they need to understand and command multiplicity. As a conceptual paper, this article seeks to discuss the importance and relevance of assessment and its links to employability. The paper provides a case for the inclusion of synoptic assessment as a tool for developing and demonstrating employability skills. The article emphasises the importance of employability and surrounding issues. The paper provides originality through linking the concepts of education and assessment with the end goals of job readiness and employability. This paper argues for a new approach to assessment that is employability-driven.

References

[1]Constantinou F. What is synoptic assessment? Defining and operationalising an as yet non-mainstream assessment concept. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice. 2020; 27(6): 670-686. doi: 10.1080/0969594x.2020.1841734

[2]Calma A. Fixing holes where the rain gets in. Associate, ed. Journal of International Education in Business. 2013; 6(1): 35-50. doi: 10.1108/18363261311314944

[3]Lang R, McNaught K. Reflective practice in a capstone business internship subject. Associate, ed. Journal of International Education in Business. 2013; 6(1): 7-21. doi: 10.1108/18363261311314926

[4]WEF. The future of jobs: Employment, Skills and Workforce Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Available online: https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs.pdf (accessed on 2 March 2024).

[5]Quality Assurance Agency (QAA). Code of Practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards in higher education: Section 6: Assessment of students. Available online: https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/id/eprint/9713/2/COP_AOS.pdf (accessed on 2 January 2024).

[6]Leathwood C. Assessment policy and practice in higher education: purpose, standards and equity. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. 2005; 30(3): 307-324. doi: 10.1080/02602930500063876

[7]Fry H, Ketteridge S, Marshall S. A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 2nd ed. Routledge; 2003.

[8]Burkill S, Dyer SR, Stone M. Lecturing in higher education in further education settings. Journal of Further and Higher Education. 2008; 32(4): 321-331. doi: 10.1080/03098770802392915

[9]Taras M. Assessment for learning: sectarian divisions of terminology and concepts. Journal of Further and Higher Education. 2008; 32(4): 389-397. doi: 10.1080/03098770802395892

[10]Ghaicha A. Theoretical framework for educational assessment: A synoptic review. Journal of Education and Practice. 2016; 7(24): 212-231.

[11]Hargreaves G. An Introduction to Assessment. The Higher Education Academy HE in FE: Teaching and learning FIAT Consultancy Ltd. Available online: http://www.palatine.ac.uk/740.pdf (accessed on 7 March 2024).

[12]Taylor C. The assessment of work-based learning in Foundation Degrees. Available online: http://www/escalate.ac.uk/1151 (accessed on 2 March 2024).

[13]Taras M. Summative assessment: the missing link for formative assessment. Journal of Further and Higher Education. 2009; 33(1): 57-69. doi: 10.1080/03098770802638671

[14]Armitage A, Bryant R, Dunnill R, et al. Teaching and Training in Post-compulsory Education. Bucks OU Press; 1999.

[15]Steed A. The Flipped Classroom. Teaching Business and Economics. 2012; 16(3): 9-11.

[16]Biggs JB. Teaching for Quality Learning at University, 2nd ed. Bucks OU Press; 2003.

[17]Southall J, Wason H. Evaluating the use of synoptic assessment to engage and develop lower level higher education students within a further education setting. Practitioner Research in Higher Education. 2016; 10(1): 192-202

[18]Ramsden P. Learning to Teach in Higher Education. Routledge; 1992.

[19]Waterfield J, West B. Inclusive Assessment in Higher Education: A Resource for Change. University of Plymouth; 2006.

[20]Glossary of Educational Reform. Capstone Project. Available online: https://www.edglossary.org/capstone-project/ (accessed on 7 March 2024).

[21]Minton D. Teaching Skills in Further & Adult Education. Macmillan Education UK; 1991. doi: 10.1007/978-1-349-12278-3

[22]Petty G. Teaching Today, 2nd ed. Cheltenham Stanley Thornes; 1998.

[23]Reece I, Walter S. Teaching, training and learning: A practical guide, 4th ed. Sunderland Business Education; 2000.

[24]Bennis W, O’Toole J. How business schools lost their way. Available online: https://hbr.org/2005/05/how-business-schools-lost-their-way (accessed on 2 January 2024).

[25]Gallagher K. Skills Development for Business and Management Students: Study and Employability. OUP; 2013.

[26]Stinson JE, Milter RG. Problem‐based learning in business education: Curriculum design and implementation issues. New Directions for Teaching and Learning. 1996; 1996(68): 33-42. doi: 10.1002/tl.37219966807

[27]Tochon FV. When authentic experiences are ‘enminded’ into disciplinary genres; crossing biographic and situated knowledge. Learning and Instruction. 2000; 10(4): 331-359.

[28]Wang J, Ayres H, Huyton J. Job Ready Graduates: A Tourism Industry Perspective. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management. 2009; 16(1): 62-72. doi: 10.1375/jhtm.16.1.62

[29]Graduate Prospects. Applying for Jobs: What Skills do Employers want. Available online: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/applying_for_jobs_what_skills_do_employers_want.htm (accessed on 7 March 2024).

[30]Weber JW, Englehart SW. Enhancing business education through integrated curriculum delivery. Journal of Management Development. 2011; 30(6): 558-568. doi: 10.1108/02621711111135161

[31]Collins A. Generalizing from Situated Knowledge to Robust Understanding. Educational Researcher; 1990. pp. 89-99.

Published

2024-04-15

How to Cite

Johnston, A., & Johnston, L. (2024). Assessment for employability: Is synoptic assessment the answer?. Forum for Education Studies, 2(2), 543. https://doi.org/10.59400/fes.v2i2.543

Download Citation

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2024)

Section

Review

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors contributing to this journal agree to publish their articles under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, allowing third parties to share their work (copy, distribute, transmit) and to adapt it for any purpose, even commercially, under the condition that the authors are given credit. With this license, authors hold the copyright.

Editor-in-Chief

Dr. Surapati Pramanik

Nandalal Ghosh B.T. College, India

eISSN

3029-2956

Publication Frequency

Quarterly

About the Publisher

Academic Publishing insists on taking academic exchange and publication as the main line, carrying out comprehensive management based on science and technology, and fully exploring excellent international publishing resources. Within 5 years, it will form a strategic framework and scale with science (S), technology (T), medicine (M), education (E), and humanities and arts (H) as the main publishing fields. Academic Publishing is headquartered in Singapore and based in Malaysia, with the United States and China providing the main scientific and academic resources. At the same time, it has established long-term good cooperative relations with other publishing companies, scientific research communities, and academic organizations in more than a dozen countries and regions. Academic Publishing uses English and Chinese as its main publishing languages, mainly publishing books, journals, and conference papers in print and online. The vast majority of publications follow the international open access policy, providing stable and long-term quality and professional publications. With the joint efforts of the expert team and our professional editorial team, our publications will gradually be indexed by international databases in stages to provide convenient and professional retrieval for various scholars. At the same time, manuscripts we accept will be subject to the peer review principle, and cutting-edge and innovative research articles will be preferentially accepted for peer reference and discussion. All kinds of our publications are welcome for peer to contribute, access, and download.

more

Volume Arrangement

2024

2023

Featured Articles

Diachronic analysis of Spanish scientific production on teaching methodologies in Primary Education: A scientometric and conceptual perspective (2000–2023)

The evaluation of science is essential to ensuring the quality, validity, and reliability of scientific results. Science needs to undergo a review process to ensure the rigorousness of scientific output. This evaluation provides a solid basis for political and economic decisions related to the design and execution of research projects, the establishment of new lines of research, or the identification of areas of specialization. This paper analyses diachronically the Spanish scientific production related to the implementation and development of teaching methodologies in primary education and indexed in the Scopus and Web of Science databases during the period 2000–2023. This analysis is carried out on the one hand, from a scientometric perspective, based on the analysis of indicators such as diachronic production, the journals with the highest scientific productivity, and the most productive institutions, and, on the other hand, from a conceptual perspective, trying to define its relationship with other areas of education. The general results of this study reveal two clear stages: the first, up to 2010, with little scientific production; and the second, from 2011 onwards, characterised by a general growth. The relationship between this field and others such as initial teacher training, ICT, and didactics is also evident.

The relationship between teachers’ self-efficacy and classroom management practices in secondary schools

This study explores the intricate relationship between teacher self-efficacy and classroom management practices in secondary schools in the Mansehra district of Pakistan. Teacher self-efficacy, defined as the belief in one’s ability to manage and influence classroom environments effectively, has been identified as a critical factor influencing both teaching performance and student outcomes. The research employed a mixed-method approach, gathering data from 62 teachers and 310 students using both online surveys (via Google Forms) and physical questionnaires to ensure a diverse and inclusive participant pool. Data analysis was conducted using two complementary tools: SPSS and Smart PLS. SPSS was used for descriptive statistics and inferential analyses, such as t-tests, chi-square tests, and measures of central tendency, to offer an overview of group differences and relationships between variables. Meanwhile, Smart PLS was employed for Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), a technique suited for complex models and smaller sample sizes. This method allowed for the analysis of both direct and indirect relationships between the study variables—teacher self-efficacy, teaching practices, and classroom management. The findings reveal a significant positive correlation between teacher self-efficacy and classroom management practices. Additionally, teaching practices were found to mediate this relationship, indicating that higher levels of self-efficacy not only directly improve classroom management but also enhance teaching performance, which in turn contributes to better-managed classrooms. These results suggest that interventions aimed at enhancing teacher self-efficacy can have far-reaching effects on educational outcomes. The study highlights the need for focused teacher development programs that foster self-efficacy, thereby improving classroom management, student engagement, and overall academic success.

Artificial Intelligence in education: A comprehensive study

This comprehensive study delves into the multifaceted role of AI in education, exploring its applications, benefits, challenges, and future implications. The purpose of the study is to show how AI in education helps educators identify gaps in student knowledge and provide targeted feedback to improve learning outcomes. As a methodology, the library method and the study and review of various documents have been used in this research. The study examines the diverse range of AI technologies employed in educational settings, including intelligent tutoring systems, personalized learning platforms, educational chatbots, and virtual reality simulations. Furthermore, the study delves into the numerous benefits that AI brings to education. It highlights how AI-powered analytics and data-driven insights enable educators to gain deeper insights into student learning patterns, identify areas for improvement, and tailor instructional strategies accordingly. Additionally, AI-driven tools promote inclusivity by providing personalized support to learners with diverse needs and learning styles. Despite its transformative potential, the study also acknowledges the challenges and ethical considerations associated with integrating AI into education. Data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the digital divide are examined in detail, emphasizing the importance of responsible AI deployment and ethical guidelines. Looking ahead, the study explores the future implications of AI in education and the evolving role of educators in AI-enabled classrooms. It discusses how AI technologies will continue to evolve, offering new opportunities for collaborative learning, skill development, and lifelong education. In conclusion, this comprehensive study underscores the profound impact of AI on education and the need for thoughtful implementation strategies that prioritize equity, inclusivity, and ethical considerations. By harnessing the potential of AI, education systems can better prepare learners for the challenges and opportunities of the future.

Enhancing adult learner success in higher education through decision tree models: A machine learning approach

This article explores the use of machine learning, specifically Classification and Regression Trees (CART), to address the unique challenges faced by adult learners in higher education. These learners confront socio-cultural, economic, and institutional hurdles, such as stereotypes, financial constraints, and systemic inefficiencies. The study utilizes decision tree models to evaluate their effectiveness in predicting graduation outcomes, which helps in formulating tailored educational strategies. The research analyzed a comprehensive dataset spanning the academic years 2013–2014 to 2021–2022, evaluating the predictive accuracy of CART models using precision, recall, and F1 score. Findings indicate that attendance, age, and Pell Grant eligibility are key predictors of academic success, demonstrating the strong capability of the model across various educational metrics. This highlights the potential of machine learning (ML) to improve data-driven decision-making in educational settings. The results affirm the effectiveness of Decision Tree (DT) models in meeting the educational needs of adult learners and underscore the need for institutions to adapt their strategies to provide more inclusive and supportive environments. This study advocates for a shift towards nuanced, data-driven approaches in higher education, emphasizing the development of strategies that address the distinct challenges of adult learners, aiming to enhance inclusivity and support within the sector.

Assessment for employability: Is synoptic assessment the answer?

Abstract

References

Most read articles by the same author(s)