Assessment moderation: Is it fit for purpose?

Abstract

This presentation outlines the different practices and purposes of assessment moderation and analyses the benefits and issues of these. Two projects are presented; each seeks to improve teacher judgement. Both attempt to redefine what we mean by moderation and how moderation can be conducted to reach diverse and dispersed groups. The first draws on a current Australian Research Council project that is exploring the development of scaled exemplars, the use of commentaries of judgement decisions, and the use of digital platforms to support teachers grading student work. The second draws on the work of the Graduate Teacher Performance Assessment (GTPA) group of 19 universities to demonstrate how large-scale moderation of complex performance assessments can be conducted across states and territories. The layers of processes, including the use of technology, required to ensure judgement reliability are illustrated. In both contexts, the ways in which moderation is understood and practised are being reimagined.