| Speakers: |
Dr Joanna Williamson (Senior Research Officer) |
| Date: |
30 Mar 2020 |
Venue: |
Cambridge Assessment
The Triangle Building, Shaftesbury Road
Cambridge
CB2 8EA
|
| Time: |
09:30
-
12:30
|
| Type: |
Training workshop |
Fee: |
£90.00 |
This session covers statistical topics that build directly upon basic statistics knowledge, and are important in assessment. The teaching approach will make clear conceptual connections between topics, and focus on a series of key assessment applications. Throughout the workshop, you’ll carry out a mixture of shorter and longer practical exercises to support your understanding.
Workshop outline
Statistical topics
|
Assessment applications |
|
1. Mapping and transforming marks
a) Motivations
b) Types of mapping: linear, segmented linear, non-linear
|
Aggregation of unit results, Uniform mark scales, tier equating, scaling centre marks, comparable outcomes |
| 2. Correlation |
Comparing unit results |
|
3. Hypothesis testing
a) Statistical significance
b) Using different distributions: normal, chi-squared, and student's t-distribution
|
Basic research questions, marker monitoring |
Key learning outcomes
- Know about the statistics and assumptions that underpin Uniform Mark Scales, tier equating, comparable outcomes, and scaling
- Feel more confident and informed about statistical terms used within Cambridge Assessment
- Understand the principle of hypothesis testing and how this is useful in assessment
Intended audience
This session is intended for assessment professionals and others working in education who have significant assessment responsibilities.
As it is a technical course, participants should take careful note of the prerequisites listed below and the course outline, to check whether the course is a good match for their needs and interests.
Prerequisites
To benefit from this workshop, you should understand:
- Percentages
- Cumulative frequency
- The normal distribution
- Mean, mode, median and standard deviation
- Excel formulas and functions
I would have loved for it to last longer. It was so interesting and captivating!”
Cambridge Assessment Network's course Basic Statistics covers these topics to the necessary level of depth. If you would like to refresh your knowledge of these topics, the following list shows some publicly-available resources that cover the necessary material:
You will also need to be numerate and comfortable using Excel. Check the list of specific skills below, self-assess, and refresh/revise where necessary before the course begins.
Book now
Course trainer
Dr Joanna Williamson is a Senior Research Officer at Cambridge Assessment, working in the Educational Measurement team. Her research projects use statistical analyses of assessment data to look at questions such as the impact of AS and A Level reform, the effects of mark scheme differences, and relationships between students’ school qualifications and their progression to further/higher education and employment.
Joanna holds an MMath in Mathematics, and also a PGCE, from the University of Oxford, and a PhD in Mathematics Education from the University of Southampton.