Assessment in professional graduate programs

Russell Docking¹ and Katherine Bathgate^2
1Skill Resource Management Systems, Western Australia and ²Curtin University of Technology

Keywords: assessment, professional, competence

The recently launched 'Melbourne Mode' draws a clear distinction between academically-oriented education programs at the undergraduate level, and employment-oriented professional programs at the graduate level. A similar distinction is also reflected in the widespread practice of academic undergraduate programs underpinning professionally oriented graduate diplomas. One outcome of emphasising this distinction between 'academic' programs and 'professional' programs is the recognition that there are likely to be very different assessment processes involved.

It is dangerous and erroneous to assume that good practice in academic assessment is transferable to the assessment of professional competence.

This presentation briefly reviews the differences between assessment processes designed to measure academic outcomes and those designed to measure professional outcomes. The presentation will then focus on specific challenges for assessment in the professional context, including:

• Developing and defining professional competency standards;
• Developing professional competency assessment tools;
• Making judgements of professional competence; and
• The recognition of prior learning.