Closing Address - NZAI President Jenny Poskitt
| Thursday, April 9, 2026 |
| 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM |
| Manawatere Auditorium (Ground Floor) |
Overview
Poroporoaki
Details
The current government has two of six education priorities related to assessment, hoping “to drive consistent improvement in achievement”. Schools are to assess in particular ways, at regular intervals and to use this information for “smarter reporting” to students, parents and to the Ministry of Education. What insights can we glean from research on the value of these requirements?
Lee et. al., (2023) argue that most education systems collect assessment data nationally for school-aged students, with varying purposes from certification, system-level monitoring, through to accountability. When used for accountability, negative effects often outweigh the benefits. Yet Davies et. al., (2014) argue that using assessment for learning benefits students, adults, school and system learning. This keynote examines factors that influence assessment as words or action for learning, and where to channel our time and energy.
Thank you for attending the NZAI Assessment Conference 2026.
We hope you have found all sessions over the course of the two days informative and interactive.
We would like to wish you a safe journey on your way home and we look forward to seeing you all again next year!
Speaker
Professor Jenny Poskitt
Director College Projects Massey University / President NZAI
Massey University / President NZAI
Assessment at the heart of learning – in words or action? Using research to connect the dots.
Biography
Professor Jenny Poskitt is Director of College Projects in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Massey University (MU), and President of the New Zealand Assessment Institute. Jenny’s interest in assessment began as a primary school teacher and continues into her university research and teaching. Research projects include Evaluation of the Assess to Learn PLD, the National Curriculum Exemplars, OECD study on enhancing student learning through formative assessment. She serves on various national advisory groups e.g., MOE, RNZCGP Academic Tahuhu, Chairs the NZQA TOGA, and is also the NZ representative on the International Educational Assessment Network (IEAN).
