Alan Cliff

Alan Cliff is Professor of Higher Education Studies in CILT and the Centre for Higher Education Development (CHED). He obtained his BA, BEd and MEd qualifications from UCT and his PhD from the University of Auckland. Professor Cliff has extensive experience teaching courses in educational psychology, educational assessment and adult education to mostly postgraduate education students. He convenes courses in educational assessment and evaluation for students at postgraduate diploma and master’s levels. He has published in international journals including Teaching in Higher Education, Higher Education, Language Matters and Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies and the South African Journal of Higher Education.

Professor Cliff has supervised master’s and PhD students in areas such as the development of literacies practices in disciplinary contexts; the validation of standardised admissions tests; the use of alternate admissions tests for admission and placement purposes; and factors that contribute to an understanding of marginalisation, exclusion and inclusion of African postgraduate students at UCT. He has contributed to research on the alignment between curriculum and student assessment. Regionally, Professor Cliff teaches courses on assessment design and academic literacy. His current research interests are in the use of theories and principles of Dynamic Assessment to facilitate student learning; and in the processes of staff development as ‘literacies practices’ and induction into professional learning communities. Professor Cliff contributes to the development of educational assessment policy and academic staff development in the further and higher education sectors nationally.

BOOKS / CHAPTERS IN BOOKS

Cliff, A. (2021). Chapter 4. The use of mediation and feedback in a standardised test of academic literacy: theoretical and design considerations. In: A. Weideman, J. Read & T. du Plessis (eds.) Assessing academic literacy in a multilingual society: transition and transformation, pp. 75-92. New Perspectives on Language and Education series. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

Swinnerton, B., Coop, T., Ivancheva, M., Czerniewicz, L., Morris, N., Swartz, R., Walji, S. & Cliff, A. (2020). Chapter 2. The Unbundled University: Researching emerging models in an unequal landscape. In: N. Bonderup Dohn, P. Jandric, T. Ryberg & M. de Laat, M. (eds.) Mobility, Data and Learner Agency in Networked Learning, pp. 19-34. Networked Learning Conference series. Switzerland: Springer.