Blog 2

Blog Two describe what the difference is between training and education as it pertains to assessment.


Training involves skills to perform tasks that require some degree of practice, repetition, or skill. The skills required for training are essential to the function of some tangible item. Therefore, training is more a hands on or practical application. Students in training programs may use and be required to use their taught skills in real world situations, with people, and have a specific, measurable outcome. Assessing training then can have clearly measurable outcomes for the instructor. With training, the skills can be repeated over and over until mastery is recognized and achieved.

Education, on the other hand, builds cognitive skills so students may address problems that are as of yet, unforeseen. The book describes it well by saying, “the content domain…is broad, only a sampling of content associated with the domain is learned, and a small portion of that which is learned is actually assessed (Oosterhof, Conrad, & Ely 2008). For instance I can teach the same MLA skills every year but in which manner and how I will assess can always be different. Essentially what I’m teaching are skills that will be utilized at some future date and cannot immediately be ascertained by mere observation or pencil and paper assessment. Education is more abstract than training. Training is more concrete and perhaps easier to measure than education.