ABSTRACT
The contribution the learner makes to assessment is not usually fully considered in books on assessment. The assumption appears to be that students are passive or, at best, reactive rather than proactive. This is even true in newer forms of assessment, which would seem to require the learner to play a more active role. Mitchell and Sturton (1993), writing about competence-based assessment, say 'the input which candidates can make to decisions and action' is 'barely mentioned at present in the "official" literature'. Brown, Rust and Gibbs (1994) quote research from Australia: 'recent graduates rated the ability to assess their own performance among die most important skills used in their jobs, but one that their degree courses had almost totally ignored' (our emphasis). Experience in schools is variable, though, increasingly, many syllabuses require evidence of self-management by students, particularly in newer programmes, such as GNVQs.
