Learning Autonomy in Post-16 Education

Kathryn Ecclestone's book addresses the thorny issue of assessment in post-compulsory education - lifelong learning.
"Formative Assessment in Lifelong Learning: Learner Autonomy in a Risk Society" looks at how different assessment practices affect learner autonomy in post-compulsory education. Education policy has emphasized inclusiveness and autonomy for learners - a goal which relies upon extending the use of outcome based assessment (OBA) across further, adult and higher education. While OBA democratizes the assessment process, making teachers and institutions more accountable to learners and encouraging partnerships between teachers and learners, there are social, practical and epistemological barriers to its implementation. Kathryn Ecclestone addresses these barriers in order to increase practical and theoretical understanding of the impact of assessment practice upon learner autonomy.