12.1 Types of assessment used in lifelong learning
There are three types of assessments used in lifelong learning. These are; * Initial * Formative * Summative
At the beginning of a course the prior knowledge of a student must be uncovered; this is what the initial assessment is for. Establishing knowledge of ability through an initial assessment allows the tutor to tailor the teaching material appropriately, giving more time when lesson planning to cover weaker areas and spending less time on areas where there is already lots of knowledge. The initial assessment should also highlight any special needs, unusual requirements and learning support that a student may have.
Assessment also takes place during the learning …show more content…

Versatile. | Demands good aural skills and confidence; listeners need good hearing; |

With any assessment method provision may be needed for individual student needs. Assessment methods which rely on good eyesight may need to be adapted to allow for use of a magnifier or other reading aid; students hard of hearing may require the use of a hearing aid and then the suitability of a classroom and the provision of a T-loop hearing aid system or similar system needs to be adopted. Learning support may also be required for students with poor writing skills in examinations, or the use of a Dictaphone to record answers may have to be adopted.

12.4 Involving the student in the assessment process
An excellent tool which can aid learning is by involving the student in the assessment process. Grading is useful in recording an achievement and allowing the student to compare themselves against their peers, but involving the student in the assessment allows learning through the process of re-examining their work. This can be done throughout the whole of the formative assessment using a variety of approaches to encourage students to consider their answers and those of their peers; * By reminding students of the question whilst they are working students can review and rework their answers. In this process they are evaluating their own decisions, deciding on whether they are happy with their work or adding to it/correcting as necessary. * By passing the completed work