Assessment of Work Based Learning: Some Lessons from the Teaching Profession

The assessment of work-based learning is arguably one of the biggest challenges facing cooperative education practitioners worldwide. However, there are a number of professions such as teaching that have a long history of assessment, some of it informed by research. In this paper we examine current practice for the assessment of teaching practica in the United Kingdom and in New Zealand, illustrated by case studies from each country. We then consider what implications the experiences and research associated with assessment in teacher training may hold for other disciplines involved in work-based learning. The authors conclude that despite much debate and research, there is little consensus on the best means of assessment for teaching practica. Thus, the experiences of the teaching profession suggest that, despite assertions in the literature and governmental views, there are no simple solutions to the assessment of holistic learning experiences such as work placements.