Learning how to learn involves reflecting on evidence of learning. It is a part of the cycle of continuous assessment. This is where students and teachers set learning goals, share learning intentions, evaluate their learning through dialogue and self assessment and peer assessment. Through this learners become aware of what they learn, and how they learn. Relevant (QSA, ACARA,) documents highlight the importance of educational systems lifelong learning this is where students grow not only in knowledge but to become independent of the teacher. Therefore teacher supplied-feedback should give way to self assessment and self monitoring. Some of what the teacher brings to the assessment act itself must become a part of the curriculum for the student. Sadler
The validity of student relative teacher judgements in assessment has been explored by many researchers and reported in the education literature .In large part student peer and self grading works best when students share a comprehensive understanding of the assessment criteria and the characteristics of work illustrative of different levels of performance. Boud describes the characteristics of self assessment as the involvement of students in identifying standards and or making criteria and making judgments about the extent to which they met these criteria and standards. (Boud, 1991pg 12) This encourages learners to be more independent and learn how to learn. Learners who are more involved in assessing themselves and others are more likely to develop the attributes and skills they need to become resilient, self-motivating learners.
Students take first steps towards independent and autonomous learning by developing learning strategies based on evaluations. This enables students to assess their own work and that of their peers and provides opportunities to discuss and reflect on their achievements, for example, peer ratings, creative writing, sharing portfolios in pairs or an oral presentation. (Collaborative learning in action)
QCAR framework provides a significant amount of support for teachers’ .Teaching sequences and learning overviews illustrate how to structure learning experiences to incorporate opportunities for peer assessment and self-assessment. (The national strategies)
How appropriate is this strategy for different classroom assessment contexts?
Peer and self assessment can be seen as formative and Berg, Sadler. Formative assessment is effective in virtually all educational settings: content areas, knowledge and skill types, and levels of education.
To work effectively, the learning environment the classroom must be supportive. (textbook)The teacher may facilitate such a learning context by first enabling students to take responsibility for their learning and to become engaged in the classroom, Students must feel comfortable and trust one another in order to provide honest and constructive feedback.
Elwood, J. (2006). Formative assessment: possibilities, boundaries and limitations. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 215-232, doi:10.1080/09695940600708653
Formative assessment to inform instruction and guide student learning is being underutilized. Many students are not given feedback that is effective in helping them see where they are in regard to reaching the learning goals or that provides plan for moving them forward to achieve that goal. Students are not always given the opportunity to take an active role in the learning process by regularly assessing themselves and their peers as they work to achieve their learning goals. The purpose of this study is to determine how the use of formative assessment with immediate feedback using student response systems will impact student learning. This study will also investigate the effect that student involvement in self-evaluation has on learning.
Formative Assessment- There are a number of formative assessment that are used. The first one is the list created on the first day after reading the passage along with student participation on sharing their findings the following day on day two. Student participation in day six when sharing their papers and the write up of a peer’s paper will be used for a formative assessment. All of these are graded on accuracy and completion and will be worth five points each.
...teacher see what their students know, wonder about and techniques they use to make sense of the world and the classroom. This information can then be used by the teacher to differentiate instruction. The teacher can recover material, present alternative activities that students are more receptive in order to foster student responsiveness and engagement. In Page Keeley’s article An Introduction to Formative Assessment Classroom Techniques (FACTs) she articulates the purpose and power of a classroom that frequently uses formative assessments by saying, “it organizes the entire classroom around learning and informs ways teachers can provide more effective learning experiences based on how their own” (10). Formative assessments foster a supportive classroom community where students and even teacher thoughts are encouraged and in turn shape the future of that classroom.
Assessment has been the greatest challenge in my development as a professional. My coursework as supported my growth in this area, especially in understanding the broad range of assessments used to support students’ growth and development. My courses have also supported my understanding of how ongoing observational assessment and standards-based measures can be used to inform instruction and support the cycle of observation, reflection and planning. Coursework
Assessments are an important part of teaching. Assessments are a good way for teachers to monitor students’ learning and understanding. Knowing students’ level of understanding can help teachers improve students’ learning and guide their instructions. In the future, I plan to continue assessing students in multiple ways such as, asking questions, illustrations and writing to adjust my instruction. I also plan to encourage students to assess their own work so they are involved in their own learning as well as look for ways to “employ technology to support assessment
I always help students identifying their learning and progress and give them feedback. Students need to be aware of their achievement and progress. I adapt practice and plan further learning, this will make the assessment meaningful and effective as it will answer to the learner needs. 6.3 Use types and methods of assessment, including peer and self-assessment, to: - Involve learners in assessment - Meet the individual needs of learners - Enable learner's to produce assessment evidence that valid. Reliable.
Through the peer assessment, the students become more actively engaged and self-directed in the learning processes. At the same, the student may faces challenges when assessing others’ work which is counter to our personal values. For me, I will assess it in accordance with the instructor’s guideline which I need to be aware of it. Whenever I identify a student’s a peer assignment, I have to provide the reasons for my feedback why it is needed to be improved. I will let the student know that I believe he or she can succeed or improve over time and make it clear that my comments relate to a particular task or performance, not to the student as a
Cooperative learning and feedback are also key strategies within this instructional unit. Students will use rubrics, a form of feedback, to observe each other’s performance. Students will then discuss the rubric with the peer observed in order to praise correct techniques demonstrated. Likewise, the use of this peer observation will allow students to have an insight the techniques they are displaying that are improper and offer advice on how to correct these errors.
Although somewhat vague compared to summative assessment, several key features help frame formative assessment. First, formative assessment happens while learning is taking place as opposed to at the end of content delivery. Rather, this is considered “assessment for learning,” (Chappuis, J., Stiggins, Chappuis, S., & Arter, 2012, pg. 5). The format is formal or informal, but the outcome in its use is an in-progress check of what students know and what students do not know. Chappuis, Stiggins, Chappuis, and Arter (2012) define formative assessment as, “Formal and informal processes teachers and students use to gather evidence for the purpose of improving learning,” (pg. 24). Second, this type of assessment is used to make instructional strategy adjustments. If student learning did not happen via one instructional method, the teacher must make the necessary accommodations to reteach the concept or skill. Next, it is not only used by teachers for feedback on instruction, but formative assessment is also used for providing timely, descriptive feedback to students and extends to allow for student self-assessment (Chappuis, J., Stiggins, Chappuis, S., & Arter, 2012; Popham, 2008). Formative assessment provides opportunity to provide specific feedback to students on where they are currently in their learning, and where they should be headed.
Through assessment students and teachers are able to determine the level of mastery a student has achieved with standards taught. Both formative and summative assessment should be purposeful and targeted to gain the most accurate data to drive further instruction (Ainsworth, 2010). While this syllabus does a good job of identifying the need for both formal and informal assessments, the way in which this is communicated does not provide enough detail for understanding. Simply listing assessment types does not give any insight into how these assessments fit in the learning process of this course. While some of the assessments mentioned could be common assessments chosen by the school or district to gain insight into the effectiveness of instruction, the inclusion of authentic assessments is most beneficial to students and demonstrates learning in a context closer to that of a work environment (Rovai, 2004). Unfortunately, this particular course, according to this syllabus, relies heavily on quizzes and traditional tests and essays to form the bulk of assessment opportunities. While other activities, such as formative assessments, journaling and discussions are mentioned as possible avenues for scoring, they are given a very low percentage of the overall grade. This shows that they are not valued for their ability to show progression and mastery. If this is indeed the case, this puts the students as a
As teachers, we have to monitor the progress our students make each day, week, quarter and year. Classroom assessments are one of the most crucial educational tools for teachers. When assessments are properly developed and interpreted, they can help teachers better understand their students learning progress and needs, by providing the resources to collect evidence that indicates what information their students know and what skills they can perform. Assessments help teachers to not only identify and monitor learners’ strengths, weaknesses, learning and progress but also help them to better plan and conduct instruction. For these reasons, ongoing classroom assessment is the glue that binds teaching and learning together and allows educators to monitor their efficacy and student learning.
Some of the formative assessments I used included asking students questions and observing how they were working and discussing the information needed for their videos with their partner. Other forms of formative assessments included providing feedback and generating whole group discussions. I found myself using observations and feedback more frequently throughout my lesson. As I walked around the classroom, I noticed the students
As I reflect on my past assessment process, I realized how much my assessments have changed over the years. In my early years, I used tests for informational recall as my assessments. I felt these were appropriate guidelines in which I needed to follow in order to substantiate a student’s grade. Every assignment or tests was given a point value and then based on the amount of points, a grade was given. Every student’s assessment was exactly the same, and the assessments did not contain any subjectivity. I felt confident in giving the grade based on a valid point system. However reflecting back, I see that I did not include any performance-based assessments or individual learning styles in my early assessment. I also did not take into consideration the individual needs of my students. My assessment approach was awful. I am embarrassed that I use to assess students in this manner.
Cauley, K.H. & McMillan, J.H. (2009). Formative assessment techniques to support student motivation and achievement. Clearing House, 83(1), 1-6.