Summary of Findings
In general, most teachers welcomed the new policy. They believe that assessment is to measure the effectiveness of learning and teaching, to inform the parties concerned, which include students, teachers, and the public, of the outcomes of this education process. As a result, it can be seen that in designing assessment tasks, some teachers place their focus on how much students have learned, or whether the knowledge can be applied to situations outside the classroom. From the interviews, it is also revealed that many different kinds of assessment tasks have been employed and assessment tasks vary according to the subject matter, and the objectives of the course.
As far as the SOLO taxonomy is concerned, some of the staff members find it helpful because it has provided a framework for all staff members to follow. It has provided a common platform for assessment of different subjects to take place. However, it has been pointed out that the taxonomy needs fine-tuning.
In terms of its implementation, staff feel that more coordination is needed and more discussion and sharing of ideas should be fostered. There should be a stronger quality assurance mechanism in order to make it a success.
In short, the views towards the adoption of the SOLO taxonomy are quite positive. More concerted effort is needed for reviewing the process and zeroing in on problematic areas.
Discussion
The findings and results reported earlier will be discussed with reference to two major issues that this study intends to investigate. The first issue to be addressed is how useful the SOLO taxonomy is.
