Assessment for learningLecture: 4020 Responsive assessment in context

Dr Peter Grainger

M09 .106

37355723

p.grainger@griffith.edu.au

What we are aiming to do this semester

Ultimately the goal of this course is to assist you in understanding and adopting your role as ASSESSORS OF STUDENT LEARNING.On the way we hope you get ‘excited’ at the idea of gathering evidence of your students’ learning (see Tomlinson reading). The assumption being that students are/should be ‘motivated’ by assessment so you need to capitalise on this and make it facilitate a better learning environment in your classroom

Our goals (con’t)

To ensure you can design an assessment program that:

enables you to cater for diverse learning styles (inclusive),

motivates your students to learn, facilitates metacognitive skills in learners, enhances the intellectual quality of the classroom and engages students so they are on-task and enjoying

their learning.

What is (summative) assessment?

Assessment is the testing and evaluation of a body of pre-determined knowledge (and skills), a curriculum in order to gain understanding of how much a person has learned. It involves the gathering of evidence of student work and a judgment or a measurement about how well a student has achieved the learning objectives of the course/curriculum. It involves documenting and justifying that evaluation of performance according to known set criteria and standards.

Why is assessment important?

Assessment tells us what is valued in the curriculum

Assessment ‘grounds’ the curriculum in that it identifies the learning targets/goal

Assessment is the driver of educational reform: teachers will change their classroom practice if they are required to change their assessment practices.

Why is assessment important?

Improving both formative and summative assessment practices leads to improved student outcomes

Done properly, assessment can: » enable rather than constrain learning» ensure you are accountable» align your pedagogy with the curriculum

intent» allow you to cater for diversity

Anything else?

What do you know about assessment?What experiences have you had in assessing kids?Do you feel confident and take a positive approach when assessing student learning?What do you need to know about assessment?

Assessment for learning (Assessment Reform Group, 2002)

Assessment for learning

Assessment For Learning (AFL) is the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to get there.

10 principles of AFL

should be part of effective planning of teaching and learning.

should focus on how students learn should be recognized as central to classroom

practice should be regarded as a key professional skill

for teachers. should be sensitive and constructive because

any assessment has an emotional impact.

should take account of the importance of learner motivation

should promote commitment to learning goals and a shared understanding of the criteria by which they are assessed.

should allow learners to receive constructive guidance about how to improve

should develop learners’ capacity for self-assessment so that they can become reflective and self-managing.

should recognise the full range of achievements of all learners

Purposes of assessment

promote, assist and improve learning inform programs of teaching and learning provide information for those people — students,

parents, teachers — who need to know about the progress and achievements of individual students to help them achieve to the best of their abilities

provide information for the issuing of certificates of achievement (certification)

provide information to those people who need to know how well groups of students are achieving (school authorities, the State Minister for Education and Training, the Federal Minister for Education, Science and Training).

Types of assessment

It is common practice to label assessment as being formative, diagnostic or summative according to the major purpose of the assessment.

The major purpose of formative assessment is to help students attain higher levels of performance.

The major purpose of diagnostic assessment is to determine the nature of students’ learning and then provide the appropriate feedback or intervention.

The major purpose of summative assessment is to indicate the standards achieved by students at particular points in their schooling. It is geared towards reporting and certification.

Assessment instruments

High-quality assessment instruments:

have construct validity (the instruments actually assess what they were designed to assess)

have face validity (they appear to assess what you believe they are intended to assess)

give students clear and definite instructions are written in language suited to the reading

capabilities of the students for whom the instruments are intended

are clearly presented through appropriate choice of layout, cues, visual design, format and choice of words

High-quality assessment instruments:

are used under clear, definite and specified conditions that are appropriate for all the students

have clear criteria for making judgments about achievements (these criteria are shared with students before they are assessed)

are used under conditions that allow optimal participation for all

are inclusive of students’ diverse backgrounds allow students to demonstrate the breadth and depth

of their achievements

Key terms relating to assessment

Key term Explanation of term

Norm-referenced assessment

Criterion-referenced assessment

Standards-based assessment

Standardised test

Traditional assessment

Alternative assessment

Performance-based assessment

Authentic assessment

Formative assessment

Summative assessment