The objective of this research was to ascertain whether adopting various evaluation

methods influences students' success and development in the academic and vocational

area. It aimed to analyze the assessment experiences of students in various Learning Skills

Sector environments by comparing and contrasting. Also, it aimed to identify the assessment

that would be the most effective to utilize for fostering student progress based on their post-

16 academic track and vocation which includes businesses, adult learning environments,

postsecondary institutions, and sixth-form centers that will help them determine success and

have skill progress.

As the study was conducted, it found a persistent gap between post-16 academic

and vocational programs in using the various assessment techniques in each track as there

were more real-life learning and assessments conducted in vocational context. The survey

also found numerous structural and procedural issues among post-16 awards. For instance,

the fact that fundamental skill assessments are differentiated based on a student's status in

the academic and vocational tracks, results in an unfair and ineffective outcome, these

assessments are failing to achieve the goals for which they were allegedly developed and

should either be amended or implemented uniformly across the LSS. In-depth tutor and

assessor support is common throughout the industry and is effective in promoting learner

achievement and progression. This support takes the form of exam coaching and practice,

assignment drafting and redrafting. However, this transparency promotes instrumentalism

that reduces the quality and authenticity of the results obtained and eliminates the challenge

of learning.

Overall, the study discovered that assessment practices do not directly influence

learners' decision regarding an award or chance of success, but the connection between

specific awards and assessment practices that involve a lot of written works did.
 After I read the paper, it became clear to me that selecting and creating assessments

which are going to be utilized in a class requires significant consideration. A variety of

evaluation procedures should be used because the learning environment is diverse. To

begin with, throughout my education from elementary to high school, I was subjected to

norm-referencing assessments, which often employ a ranking method to award students

based on their academic performance and grades. Although it may have contained

performance-based activities, the learning objective is abandoned, but instead, students are

competing with one another for awards or grades. This creates an unfair assessment and

ineffective learning progress on the students who are on average level or lower.

On the other hand, as far as I remembered, criterion-reference assessments were

utilized already during my high school education which also helped me as a student to

collaborate and communicate with classmates as well as to have self-assessment. Although

we were diverse, we were given clear instructions or transparency on how to do or perform

something that leads to effective learning. Somehow, we can clearly say that we get the

grades that we deserve and is not unfair since there are guidelines or criteria given to us

already.

Furthermore, as I have reflected from the study, the use of various assessment

strategies might also be influenced by nationality, gender, religion, etc., which creates an

issue for other students as well. There might be assessments made for a student based on

the things he/she can or cannot do which the assessor respects. However, this can make

some students think that it is an unfair way of assessing which can be difficult as it affects

the principle of an assessment. Additionally, there might be barriers or miscommunications in

implementing different assessments which is why it must be carefully thought. On a positive

note, having different strategies of assessment promotes transparency or scaffolding that

helps the students learn on their own without having any pressure but too much of it can

lead to losing the purpose and challenge of learning.

These insights will help me as a future educator because I will be able to evaluate

each student according to their unique set of skills. If I ever need to change the way I teach

or test them, I will be able to evaluate both myself and my performance as a teacher for

them as well. Prior to becoming an educator, I always assumed that assessments were only

used for compliance or requirements, or perhaps it was just the way my teacher

administered them during my elementary through high school years, but I now see how

crucial it is to avoid giving students the same impression I did. My students will receive

assessments from me for learning, not for compliance. I won't put pressure on them, and I'll

support their learning according to their own ways without going overboard to the point

where they become independent and don't acquire true knowledge.