ABSTRACT
In general, assessment is geared towards understanding the ability of learners to learn. As such, it also provides important clues regarding the teacher who is teaching. Specifically, it attempts to systematically understand where learners are in their learning journeys at specific points in time, while also generating information on where exactly learning development is required. For these reasons, assessment is intimately tied up with various sets of learning outcomes, namely with what the learner is expected to know and be able to do as a result of having engaged in a specific learning path. With this in mind, this chapter provides an overview of the main purposes of assessment in music education, while also considering what should be assessed. The terms formative and summative assessment are defined and best practice regarding designing and conducting these different types of assessment is highlighted. The chapter concludes with an outline of some methods and tools that music teachers might want to consider for assessing and recording learners’ understanding, participation level and skill development in music learning.
