Mr. Lewis Purser:

We have been asked to represent the universities in this important discussion with the Chair and the committee. Our opening statement and contributions to the discussion are based and are heavily informed by the written submissions we understand the committee has already received from our colleagues in UCC, UCD, NUI Galway and the University of Limerick.

This opening statement and our contributions to the discussion are based on and heavily informed by the written submissions we understand the joint committee has already received from our colleagues in UCC, UCD, the National University of Ireland, Galway, and the University of Limerick. Our aim today is simply to highlight some of the main potential benefits and risks for the State examinations system that may be associated with continuous assessment and to list some of the most important enabling measures and conditions that we see as being needed for continuous assessment to be used in State exams in pursuit of the overall goals of the State's education and skills strategies and policies.

Continuous assessment is, very simply, a way to ensure that all learners have opportunities to succeed. This is what teachers do every day in their classrooms and good teachers do it very well. By continually observing learners, monitoring what they know and can do, teachers can ensure all learners are making progress in a holistic way, irrespective of the type of examination system in place. With the high stakes terminal leaving certificate examinations currently in place in Ireland, it means much of this good practice is often sacrificed in order to prepare for the exam.

Regular, ongoing assessment also means that teachers can use a range of assessment tools and methods to assess learners in a variety of different ways, developing confidence in their knowledge of what the learners know and can do. Research indicates that this allows for much greater flexibility in teaching and learning and provides a more accurate and robust overview of student progress and performance than methods that provide a single "snapshot" through formal examination.

There are particular benefits that continuous assessment can bring to the well-being of students. It is likely to reduce the pressure associated with preparing for final exams, for example, and continuous assessment gives a better rounded and nuanced profile of the student over time. If correctly designed, it can play to a student's interests and strengths. Continuous assessment activities focus on student understanding rather than their ability to memorise. Assessment should require learners to think, express their thoughts and demonstrate their skills. This enables learners to display a much deeper understanding than if they were simply memorising information for a test. This greater emphasis on skills related to critical thinking, reflection, teamwork and creativity are appropriately assessed over a continuum in time and through multiple methods. A consistent critique of high stakes one-off examinations is the narrowing impact on what and how students learn.

With respect to risks, there is certainly a risk to the integrity of the exam system and a number of measures would need to be put in place to counter that potential risk. There is a serious risk around validity, reliability and consistency in examinations across the many thousands of teachers who would need to be involved and the different assessment measures. A rigorous and comprehensive external monitoring and moderation process organised by the Department and the State Examinations Commission would be needed if we move to this sort of system. There would need to be much initial training, continuing professional development, ongoing support and resources, including the necessary time to allow teachers to engage with this successfully.

There has been much recent positive change to the junior certificate and there is an impetus for change at the senior cycle. However, the junior cycle reform is still a work in progress and there is no data, as of yet, on the effectiveness or experiences arising from these classroom-based assessments. We need some rigorous investigation and research into international best practice, including the various forms of assessment that could be best used in the leaving certificate context. This would involve consulting with a wide range of stakeholders and bringing them on board.