Abstract:
This paper discusses the social and cognitive variables that influence the roles of most
practitioners during the marking of examination scripts and other student assessment procedures in
educational institutions. Most approaches to the assessment of student work and are rooted in the
specific historical, legal, national and pedagogical context of the institution. Studies have thus
shown that practices differ widely between countries, regions, institutions and subject areas within
institutions. It is the position of this paper that
academic assessment procedures in educational
environments should be designed to suit particular
needs of the specific programme of study.
What is important here is ensuring that the principles guiding the design of a specific assessment
practice are transparent, fair and open to scrutiny
by all stakeholders during and after their
administration. It has been noted by some external
assessors that when the final results of a
student’s work do not fit within a normal distribution curve incompetency on the part of the
practitioner is to blame. This is a broad accusation and it remains to be shown how to go about
substantiating professional incompetencies in academic assessment exercises. It is against this
background that this paper presents a conceptual diagram and theories that support the influence of
cognitive and social variables on the work of practitioners in higher education.
