The National Council of Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) on Monday, December 2, 2019, commenced the second workshop on Test Item Writing and Instructional Resources Development in the Greater Accra Region.
Opening the 5-day workshop, the Executive Secretary of NaCCA, Dr Prince Hamid Armah speaking on behalf of the Minister of Education, Hon Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh expressed his sincere gratitude for the commitment and dedication of test item writers and instructional resource developers towards the assignment. He emphasized that, with the crop of experts assembled – classroom teachers and heads from Junior/Senior High Schools, tutors and lecturers from the Colleges of Education and Universities, Curriculum, Test Item, Measurement and Evaluation experts as well as a few Independent Consultants who have in-depth knowledge in Test Item Writing and Instructional Resources Development, the stage has been set for achievement of set targets and deliverables.
Dr Armah reminded the experts of the public expectations and further highlighted that the Test Items and Resources must be developed with the teacher in mind, in a manner that it provides utmost leverage for supporting the teachers to effectively and efficiently deliver the Standards-Based Curriculum. According to Dr Armah, the item bank will be a configured system that serves as a Repository for teachers who will have to enter some login details. The item bank will be structured along grade-levels, subject areas, and nature of assessments including some project work topics.
Having challenged participants to look at a broader goal of offering the teachers varied forms of assessment tools, he noted that the tools that they are developing a need to help shape the pedagogies of teachers to be able to assess both the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains of learning.
In conclusion, Dr.Armah shared his optimism that by the end of the Workshop there would be varied forms of assessment tools that will meet the expectations of the curriculum especially within the context of the Content Standards, indicators and core competencies relating to the subject areas.
