Book Launch - Does a Sociology of Assessment matter?

An event to launch The Sociology of Assessment: comparative and policy perspectives. The selected works of Patricia Broadfoot as part of the . These seminars are free and open to the public.

This conversation will seek to answer this question. Patricia Broadfoot will present the central argument of her book namely the overwhelmingly powerful impact of educational assessment on contemporary society and hence, the importance of a sociology of assessment.

The presentation will argue that, for a sociologist, educational assessment cannot but be seen as a profoundly social activity. It will challenge the long-established assumption the language of assessment in the form of grades, marks, levels and percentages is objective, accurate and meaningful, arguing instead, that such assessment is a social construct that reflects the needs of society at a given time. To illustrate the importance of a sociological understanding of assessment the presentation will briefly explore the potential significance of the digital revolution in this respect and the fundamental changes in the social role of assessment to which these might lead.

Professor Broadfoot CBE (Emeritus Professor of Education, University of Bristol) will be joined by a panel of discussants including:

Professor Stephen Ball FBA, formerly Karl Mannheim Professor of Sociology of Education, University of London (who has written the Preface to the book),

Professor Tansy Jessop, Pro Vice-Chancellor, University of Bristol,

Professor Jo-Anne Baird, Professor of Educational Assessment and Director of Department of Education, University of Oxford.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

This is an online event - please see check your confirmation email for details of how to attend, 35 Berkeley Square, Bristol, United Kingdom