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Importance of teaching in education
Characteristics Of Formative Assessment
Features of formative assessment
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Recommended: Importance of teaching in education
In a recent white paper, ‘The importance of Teaching,’ the Government sets out the agenda for educational reforms in England. The paper ignores a fundamental, powerful tool that is available to but is still used by teachers and that is Assessment for Learning. Not only does the report fails to acknowledge this effective teaching tool, it also states that teachers no longer need to develop a written lesson plan (Great Britian Department of Education 2010). This concern was also echoed by Lucey (Lucey 2011) in her article on the importance of AfL in schools and how the Government have failed to recognise the potential it has on pupil’s learning. However, the Government states that it will allow the practitioner to decide how learning will be assessed depending on their pupil’s particular needs. The aim of this to essay is to look at a Year 7 Mathematical Scheme of work to show that active approach to AfL has benefits for both the teacher and the pupil they teach. This article will concentrate on AfL and not summative assessment, which is a grading attributed pupils at the end of module or end of year examination that has benefit for the pupils but not the pupils on-going learning.
In their article ‘Inside the Black Box,’ Black and Wiliam (1998) set out to answer three questions related to raising standards though the use of formative assessment and their conclusion was that the evidence provided in the literature supported the premise that formative assessment does raise standards. Readers of Black and William’s article have agreed that there are benefits of enhanced teaching practice and that the ideas within the article establishes sound assessment for learning strategies that strengthen learning for pupils or group of pupils ...
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...s White Paper, Norwich: TSO.
Hattie, J. and Timperley, H. (2007) 'The Power of Feedback', Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81-112.
Johnston-Wilder, S. (2011) Learning to teach mathematics in the secondary school : a companion to school experience, 3rd ed. ed., London: Routledge.
Lucey, C. (2011) 'Why AfL is not a passing fad.', Times Educational Suppliment, TesPro,
Ofsted (2007) The Annual Report of Her Majestys Chief Inspector 2006-07,
'SoW', (2011) available: http://www.kangaroomaths.com/free_resources/ks3/ks3_sow_stage_3.doc [accessed 02 Novemember 2011].
Threlfall, J. (2005) 'The Formative Use of Assessment Information in Planning: The Notion of Contingent Planning', British Journal of Educational Studies, 53(1), 54-65.
Wragg, E. C. and Brown, G. (2001) Questioning in the Secondary School, [New rev. ed.] ed., London: Routledge/Falmer.
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.
...g against inspection of children's attainment in the formal areas of mathematics and English have passed. Viewing the Early Years Foundation stage (EYFS) (2012) the position that assessment is a fundamental to early years practice can be supported. Set criteria are in place to standardise children's abilities. Standardised and universal summative assessment is described as narrowed down but necessary on a National level to identify any areas for improvement. As a measure, "each child’s learning and development is ‘emerging’, ‘expected’, or ‘exceeding’ against the descriptors for each goal". The goals described are wide and far reaching. From the National Strategies programme Social and Emotional Aspects of Development (SEAD), measuring Self-confidence and self-awareness; Managing feelings and behaviour; and Making relationships and understanding others.
This article, initiated by the Assessment Group of the British Educational Research Association, focuses on how improving formative assessment raises standards and how there is still room for improvement. It discusses the importance of self and peer assessments and effective teaching. They also identified four ways to implement classroom policies to improve formative assessment.
make it work? In C.A. Dwyer (Ed.), The future of assessment: Shaping teaching and learning
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
Informal assessments provide the most useful, practical information about the learning processes of a student. Informal as...
As a pre service teacher undertaking the study of theoretical approaches of Teaching along with experience from practicum placements, I understand the importance of providing ongoing assessment for my students and for my own professional learning. As a graduate teacher I understand the need to demonstrate Australian professional Standards for Teachers standard five: Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning as a professional requirement (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership [AITSL], 2014). My view is that learning and assessment are interlinked as a daily ongoing practice. I feel it
teacher knows whether learning is effective and finds new ways of improving. Research has shown that there is a clear relationship between being part of the process of assessment and pupil motivation. Children who are actively engaged with their progress will feel empowered to improve their performance and will feel more ownership of their learning. Question 1e (Weighting: 0) Explain how assessment for learning can contribute to planning for future learning carried out by: the teacher the learners the learning support practitioner.
Assessment is “the process of collecting, synthesizing, and interpreting information to aid in decision making” (Airasian, 2000, p. 10). Similarly, Payne (2003) defines assessment as “the interpretive integration of application tasks (procedures) to collect objectives-relevant information for educational decision making and communication about the impact of the teaching-learning process” (p.9). This means that assessment is a form of collecting data which has meaning when making judgments on students’ learning. It is an effective way to assist students’ learning, identify their weaknesses and strengths and also to recover the effectiveness of curriculum programs. On the other hand, Moon (2000) suggests that assessment is “a way of providing feedback on learning and teaching” (p.148).
In this paper, I will be primarily focusing on the importance of feedback in learning. Practise is important to achieve goals but it cannot act alone, in order for a student to accomplish his/her goals he/she needs to practise; while practising it is important to receive feedback. By the end of this paper, I will try to prove why “Feedback is so important in learning”?
There is so much research out there on formative assessment. Unfortunately, there is not a great deal of empirical evidence that can directly such as the use of many suggest forms of formative assessment to gains on summative assessments (Dunn & Mulvenon, 2009).
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
Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81-112.