AKU-EB facilitates Higher Education Commission's Assessment and Testing workshops in Quetta and Peshawar

As part of its ongoing collaboration with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan, Aga Khan University Examination Board facilitated “Master Trainers' Workshops on Assessment and Testing for the I m plementation of Semester System in Higher Education Institutions of Pakistan ” throughout the month of November 2009.

Held in Quetta and Peshawar , these workshops were attended by Academics from various universities and diverse faculties. In the introductory session participants were keen on emphasizing the need for a curriculum which is less prescriptive in its detail but with an increased focus on the depth of understanding rather than the breadth of content. Similarly they were of the view that assessment should be designed in such a way to enable faculty members and students to analyze student learning and identify their strengths and weaknesses, thereby encouraging effective planning for their future management of student progress.

AKU-EB's Assessment Experts (see HEC List of Resource Persons ), along with Mr. Muhammad Junaid, Assistant Direct o r Learning and Innovation HEC, provided insight on the importance of designing appropriate assessment tools through interactive hands-on sessions on constructing quality Multiple Choice, Constructed Response and Essay type questions.

Various other forms of assessment such as objective type tests, case studies and portfolios were also presented and discussed with the provision of supplementary reading material to highlight the wide range of possibilities available to measure the skills required of university graduates.

Chief Guests and Speakers at the workshops included Ms Shama Parveen Magsi, Minister for Information & Technology-Balochistan; Mr . Fida Hussein and Mr. Anwarullah, Regional Directors, HEC; Mr. Marawat, Vice Chancellor, University of Peshawar ; and Mr. Nasir Jamal Khatak, Head, Institute of Special Training, Peshawar .

These sessions provide a valuable platform to AKU-EB Assessment specialists to understand and share ideas on not only improving assessment at the tertiary level but also to look at ways to enable its students to make a successful transition to post-compulsory education and training.