The first course I attended was run by Dr Mojtaba Ammari and was on the topic of ‘Authentic Assessment’ and focussed on the philosophy that assessment in the classroom should be as applicable to the real world as possible, ie ‘real world problem solving situations’ which a graduate may typically encounter in the workplace.
One thing which impressed me about authentic assessments was that they may be effective in tackling plagiarism / cheating if conducted in such a way that the authenticity of the students work can be verified in a live environment. Other important aspects included enabling learners to ‘buy in’ to assessments by showing them exactly how the skills or knowledge gained will help them in the ‘real world’.
I can replicate this to a certain degree with my Advocacy module which is a skills-based course I deliver in China as part of the Sino-UK joint program. This is a course which focusses on practical legal skills and naturally uses a live assessment method. One inherent limitation is the difficulty arising in involving Chinese employers in such initiatives whilst the module is being delivered in China. One link between my advocacy module and the workplace may be evident for the students who visit the UK for the 4th year of their degree and participate in voluntary work with the Central England Law Centre. It may be a good idea to illustrate how this module relates to the real-world problem solving some of them will be doing in England as part of their final years study.
My PgCert Journey 