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Supplemental
ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT
LEARNING

Module 12

PATERNO D. AGUILA
First Edition

Copyright May 6, 2020

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ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING

There are four common types of testing in school:

1. Diagnostic testing – This testing is used to “diagnose” what skills a student has
demonstrated proficiency on. Diagnostic testing often measures for student
misconceptions or where students are in stages along a progression, such as by grade
level, of concepts, or skills, For example, diagnostic reading assessment can measure
what grade level students are fluent at reading, or based on their comprehension of the
text.

2. Formative Assessment – Formative assessment is often viewed as more of a natural part

of the teaching and learning process. It can include strategies such as observations,
having students read out loud, and asking students question in class, as well as the use
of different type of tools, like digital games.

3. Benchmark or Interim Testing – This testing is used throughout the school year often to
check whether students have mastered a unit of instruction. There are other types of
benchmark assessment that mirror the state summative test as a way to view progress
and see if students are on track.

4. Summative Assessment – Summative assessments are used as a checkpoint at the end

of the year or course to assess how much content students learned overall.

These objectives are specifically met in the 3 domains of learning.

Specific Objectives:

Cognitive Objectives: Manifest Understanding of their roles as teachers, as active

members in the society and as global citizens responsible for the outcomes of their actions in the
development of the young people of the country.

Psychomotor: Synthesize relevant social science theories and research as they relate to
education; Apply the basic assumptions made in social science studies in order to help them
make critical and logical decisions;

Affective Objectives: Develop the realization that local (or private) actions of teachers
result in global (universal) or geographically dispersed consequences; and Manifest their own
understanding of the relation between or among the individual, the school and the society by
applying the four pillars of learning.

Course Specification and Syllabus

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This course introduces the student to identify the achievement domains being measured and to
ensure that the fair and representative sample of questions appear on test. By providing this
specification to students during instruction, students can recognize the main ideas, key skills,
and the relationships concepts more easily. A system of assessment begins by defining course
learning objectives: what students should be able to do at the end of instruction. The learning
objectives give you a clear target so you can choose learning activities and assessments that are
aimed directly toward those objectives. When activities and assessments are lined up with the
ultimate objectives, you have alignment

Content Coverage for Modular Students

The following subsequent to this page shows the tentative list of topics for the course. The
instructor has the right to alter the outline at any time constraints, unexpected scheduling
conflicts, unexpected affairs/activities in the university, or overall benefit to class effectiveness.

Instructions:

1. Answer the question in Formative Assessment

a) What makes an assessment formative?

b) What are some examples of effective formative assessment practices?
c) How is the formative assessment process different than summative and interim
assessment?
d) What is best practice regarding formative assessment practices, grading, and
homework?
e) How can homework be used formatively?
f) How can I make sure my students are using the feedback I provide to advance their
learning?
g) What if a student shows a solid understanding of the learning target within my
formative practice, but does NOT within the classroom summative assessment
(chapter test, end of unit test, etc.)?
h) What are “common formative assessments”? How are they different than formative
assessment practices?
i) How much time does the formative assessment process take? How do I find time in
my schedule to use it in my classroom?
j) What should I look for if I am purchasing a “formative assessment” commercial
product to use in my classroom?

2. Print and will submit to the author a month after your enrollment and follow the sample
written report as attached in this module..

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INTRODUCTION:

Teachers make professional judgments on learners’ performance in every teaching and learning
session undertaken, whether consciously or subconsciously. Using these professional
judgments and translating them into feedback on the quality of individuals’ work is the focus of
Assessment for Learning. Successful Assessment for learning strategies result in improved
learner progress on a continual basis. The principal characteristic of Assessment for Learning is
effective feedback provided by teachers to learners on their progress. The value of the feedback
is dependent on two factors:

 The quality of the feedback

 How learners receive and ultimately use it.

Teachers, therefore, need training and support to enable them to make valuable assessment
decisions, to provide quality feedback to learners, and to teach learners to receive feedback
positively and use the information contained within it effectively to improve their work.
Assessment for Learning and quality feedback can and do promote increased learner progress.
However, assessment of learning rather than assessment for learning has preoccupied the
minds of the profession for many years in an effort to meet awarding body requirements.

Assessment of learning can detract from effective classroom practice and prevent feeding back
assessment decisions to learners on their performance with the view to improving their work.
The Working Group on 14–19 Reform, led by Sir Mike Tomlinson, set out its final
recommendations in 2004. Tomlinson and his colleagues endorse the refocusing on teacher-led
assessment and, by introducing Assessment for Learning now, educational establishments are
providing opportunities for teachers to develop their assessment and feedback skills while
promoting confidence in their professional judgment and fostering an effective learning
environment. By putting the learner at the heart of the assessment process and refocusing the
objective so that the learner becomes the primary benefactor, improved meaning to teachers and
value to learners.

Learning agenda is a dream that will never be realized. Miliband described personalized
learning as:

o High expectations of every child, given practical form by high quality teaching based on
a sound knowledge and understanding of each child’s needs.
o It is not individualized learning where pupils sit alone. Nor is it pupils left to their own
devices – which too often reinforces low aspirations.
o It means shaping teaching around the way different youngsters learn; it means taking
the care to nurture the unique talents of every pupil.

The following extract is lifted from A national conversation about personalized learning:

o A personalized offer depends on really knowing the strengths and weaknesses of

individual children and young people. We believe a key means of doing so is assessment
for learning and the use of evidence and dialogue to identify ever y pupil’s learning

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 needs … But whatever the contextual practice, the rationale is always the same: clear
evidence about how to drive up individual attainment; clear feedback for and from
pupils so there is clarity on what they need to improve and how best they can do so; and
a clear link between learning and lesson planning.

o The White Paper, 14–19 education and skills, highlights the need to reduce the burden of
external assessment while challenging and stretching the more able learner. Teachers
will welcome this change in focus, which will allow them to free up time to get back to
basic they need to undertake internal assessment for the benefit of learners not purely to
meet the requirement of external assessment regimes and, as a result, maximize learning
and improve attainment in individual teaching and learning sessions.

o Personalized learning has five key components and assessment for learning is at the
heart of its philosophy.

The Personalized Learning Model – the Five Key Components

Assessment of Learning

Effective teaching and learning strategies

Curriculum entitlement and choice

School/College organization

Strong partnership beyond the school/college

‘What is Assessment for Learning? The rationale of Assessment for Learning is clarified. In
addition, advice is provided on promoting effective assessment; how to plan for learning; how
to establish the learning goals; how to communicate the assessment criteria; how to create
effective session learning plans; and how to create a learning ethos within an institution in
which to introduce Assessment for Learning. Every assessment plan should begin with course
goals and objectives. Module level objectives or learning outcomes should be measurable and
provide evidence of mastery through student performance. Now that you have developed the
course goals and objectives, we will move on to planning how we will measure achievement at
the course level.

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WHAT IS ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING?

Assessment as part of classroom activities is a fundamental process required to promote

learning and ultimately achievement. Learners need to know and understand the following
before learning can take place:

 What is the aim of the Learning?

 Why do they need to learn it?
 Where are they in terms of achieving the aim?
 How can they achieve the aim?

When learners know and understand these principles, the quality of learning will improve.
Sharing this information with learners will promote ownership of the learning aims and a sense
of shared responsibility between the teacher and learner to achieve those aims. Improving
learners’ confidence and self-esteem reflects positively in learners’ work and their motivation is
improved.

To promote effective assessment, teachers need to:

o Explain the learning aims to learners and check their understanding.

o Demonstrate the standards learners are required to achieve and help them recognize
when they have achieved that standard.
o Give effective feedback on assessment decisions, so that learners know how to improve.
o Demonstrate high expectations and make it obvious to learners that they believe that
they can improve on their past performance.
o Provide regular opportunities for teachers and learners to reflect on the last
performance and review learners’ progress.
o Develop learners’ self-assessment skills, so that they can recognize what aspects of their
own work need to improve.

Assessment for Learning is all about informing learners of their progress to empower them to
take the necessary action to improve their performance. Teachers need to create learning
opportunities where learners can progress at their own pace and undertake consolidation
activities where necessary .In recent years, it has been stated that teachers have become adept at
supporting the less able learner, sometimes to the detriment of the more able learner.
Assessment for learning strategies should be implemented in such a way that quality feedback
provided to learners based on, for example, an interim assessment decision, will help to
challenge the more able learner.

To reach new levels of achievement and, in doing so, reach their full potential. The individuality
of feedback, by its very nature, has the facility to support weaker learners and challenge more
able learners.

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Learning Assessment a System and Process

Learning assessment is a system and process of collecting evidence about student learning.
Assessment is a lot like research because it involves observing, recording, scoring and
interpreting the information we collect. A good system of assessment provides:

 feedback to students about their learning

 feedback to teachers about their instruction
 evidence to support teachers’ judgments about grading

What is course alignment?

Alignment is the connection between learning objectives, learning activities and
assessment. An aligned course means that you’re learning objectives, activities and
assessments match up so students learn what you intend and you accurately assess
what students are learning.

 Objectives are the expectations for student performance: they specify what you
want student to be able to do when they finish your course.

 Activities are the experiences that students engage in that prepare them to achieve
the intended learning objective.
 Assessment is a system for collecting evidence about student learning that we can
use to improve and make judgments about learning.
Assessment for learning process provides students with clear learning targets, examples and
models of strong and weak work, regular descriptive feedback, and the ability to self-assess,
monitor learning, and set goals.

To assist educators in embedding the process in classroom instruction seven modules have been
developed around the six attributes of assessment for learning found in the Iowa Core’s
Assessment for Learning Brief, Assessment for Learning Literature Review, and the Assessment for
Learning Innovation Configuration Map.

The six attributes Assessment for Learning Process identified by Iowa educators are as follows:

1. learning progressions;
2. clear learning goals and success criteria;
3. modifying instruction based on elicited evidence;
4. providing descriptive feedback;
5. self-and peer-assessment;

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 6. and creating a collaborative classroom climate.

What is a learning taxonomy?

A framework for instruction and assessment. We know alignment is important, but how do you
align a course? One way is to use a learning taxonomy. Its purpose is to help you classify your
course learning objectives and select learning activities and assessments that are aligned toward
those learning objectives. There are many learning taxonomies, but the one we present here is
Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy.

What is Bloom’s Taxonomy? A classification system of thinking and learning.

Benjamin Bloom was an educational theorist and teacher who studied the nature of
thinking. His taxonomy has been widely used in the field of education since the 1950’s. You
may recognize the cognitive domains in Bloom’s pyramid, which illustrates that thinking
occurs at different levels of complexity.

You may notice that the wording in the pyramid is slightly different from Bloom’s original
taxonomy. Bloom’s Taxonomy was revised in the 1990’s by a group led by Lorin Anderson, one
of Bloom’s former students. The revised version is a more useful tool for planning curriculum,
instruction and assessment.

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What is the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy? A matrix with types and levels of knowledge.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy is a tool for defining learning objectives, planning instruction and
choosing assessments. It combines the original levels of learning (across the top) with types of
knowledge (on the left).

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy

How does the taxonomy table help me? It helps you plot a good course.

We mentioned that an aligned course helps students achieve learning goals by

matching learning activities to learning objectives and assessments to student learning.
The taxonomy table gives you a framework for plotting objectives, activities and
assessments and helps you:

 approach your course systematically and effectively

 focus your learning efforts on your learning objectives
 select assessments that correspond to student learning

The Cognitive Process Dimension

The Cognitive Process Dimension reflects Bloom’s categories or levels of learning,
going from simple to complex.

1. Remember: recognizing or recalling relevant knowledge, facts or concepts

2. Understand: constructing meaning from instructional messages
3. Apply: using ideas and concepts to solve problems

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 4. Analyze: breaking something down into components, seeing relationships and
overall structure
5. Evaluate: making judgments based on criteria and standards
6. Create: reorganizing diverse elements to form a new pattern or structure.

Cognitive Process Dimension

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Table

The Knowledge Dimension

The left side of the table lists types of knowledge in the Knowledge Dimension. These
categories range from concrete to abstract, but do not necessarily range in complexity. For
example, learning a procedure or skill does not require a mastery of all related facts and
concepts; and metacognitive knowledge (knowing how well you understand something)
can be done at any level of learning.

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Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Table

Types of knowledge include:

Factual: the basic elements used to communicate, understand, organize a subject Knowing that
such as terminology scientific terms or labels, vocabulary, jargon, and symbols or
representations; and specific details such as knowledge of events, people, dates,
sources of information.

Conceptual: the knowledge of principles and generalizations; classifications, Knowing what and
categories and theories; and models or structures of a subject. why

Procedural: includes knowing how to do something such as performing specific skills Knowing how
and algorithms, techniques and methods.

Metacognitive: a knowledge of cognition (the process or strategy of learning and Knowing how to
thinking), an awareness of one’s own cognition, and the ability to control, monitor, and know
regulate one’s own cognitive process.

The modules developed to support deeper understanding of these attributes are as follows:
• Foundations
• Learning Intentions
• Eliciting Evidence/Instructional Modifications
• Descriptive Feedback
• Self-and Peer-assessment

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• Collaborative Classroom Climate
• Putting It Into Practice

The modules are developed around units. Each unit has opening activities, opportunities to
learn, practice activities, and closing activities. Each module also includes a closing, evaluation,
and other resources for the collaborative learning team (CLT).

How well do you promote Assessment for Learning in your teaching and learning
session?

Ask yourself the following questions and grade yourself using the six-point scale.

1= excellent
2 = very good
3 = good
4 = satisfactory
5 = poor
6 = very poor

Areas for improvement

Key Grade and required action to
improve performance
How well developed is your
questioning
technique?
What strategies do you use to
promote
effective question
distribution?
How effective are you at
using marking to
inform dialogue with
learners?
What is the quality of
feedback you
provide your learners?
How effectively do you
promote
self-assessment and peer
assessment?

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General Assessment Concepts & Tools

What are two types of assessment? Formative and summative.

Assessments have either a formative or summative purpose:

 Formative assessment is done before or during instruction (a pre-test or mid-term

assignment) to determine where students are in relation to the learning goals. It
provides feedback that shows teachers where to make adjustments in instruction
and shows students where to focus their efforts.
 Summative assessment is done at the conclusion of instruction (a final test or
project) to judge the quality of student skills and knowledge. Summative
assessment provides evidence that helps us judge student learning and assign
grades.

Formative assessment improves instruction; summative assessment proves instruction.

Need a tool for grading essays, projects or performances? Use a rubric.

 Rubrics are a tool that makes assessment and grading easier. A rubric is a scoring
guide that lists the required elements or characteristics of a student product and
describes different levels of quality for each element.

 Rubrics are best suited for assessments such as essays, projects or performances
because they make grading easier and give students more detailed feedback.
Rubrics also facilitate alignment because they can directly reflect the learning
objectives.

What is formative assessment?

Formative assessment is a deliberate process used by teachers and students during instruction
to provide specific, actionable, and immediate feedback. They are designed to quickly inform
instruction by providing specific and immediate feedback through daily, ongoing instructional
strategies that are student- and classroom-centered, and that answer "what comes next for
student learning?"

1. What makes an assessment formative?

An assessment is “formative” if the data collected is used to gauge student understanding;

provides students with specific, actionable, and immediate feedback; and adjust instructional
strategies in relation to the standards or learning goal. The formative assessment process

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involves both the teacher AND the student, answering the following questions regarding
student learning:

 Where am I going?
 Where am I now?
 How do I get from here to there?

Within the formative assessment process, the teacher and the student are giving and receiving
feedback about the student’s learning progression using a continuous dialogue in order to
know what comes next for student learning. As such, formative practices personalize the
teaching and learning cycle. Feedback may occur in the form of teacher-student, student-
teacher, student-student, or student-self. An essay, project, quiz, test, or informal check for
understanding can serve as a formative assessment if the data is used to adjust instructional
strategies to meet the needs of students at various levels of learning. However, if a teacher were
to use that same assessment to report a final grade, or provide the data to the district or state,
the assessment would be summative because it would be an assessment OF learning, not an
assessment FOR learning. Summative assessments are meant to gauge student learning in
relation to a specific set of standards, at a particular point in time.

It’s not formative unless the teacher acts on the results by adjusting instruction
and by providing feedback.

2. What are some examples of effective formative assessment practices?

Most teachers are already using formative assessment practices within their own classrooms.
Some examples include teacher observations of student learning, student-teacher conferencing,
questioning for understanding, thumbs up/thumbs down, exit and entrance tickets, students
using whiteboards within the classroom, etc. The key to using these strategies effectively is to
use the data gathered from formative practices to reflect on and provide high-quality feedback
that guides future teaching and learning. This could include examples such as a teacher taking
anecdotal notes and referencing these notes to help form learning groups; a teacher re-teaching
a skill to a small number of students who did NOT show proficiency during a conference; or a
teacher providing extension opportunities for students who are ready to move on to the next
level of learning. The important piece to note is that in all of these examples, the teacher is using
data gathered from the formative assessment process in order to guide future instruction and to
personalize student learning to close student learning gaps.

In the vignettes below, each teacher is using formative practices, ranging from Teacher A’s quick check of
Student understanding to Teacher C’s most systemized and strategic formative practice.

The Formative Assessment Process: Teacher Vignettes

A teacher is finishing a lesson on a new learning target and conducts a quick check for student
understanding in order to plan for the next lesson. She asks the class to give her a thumbs up if

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they are confident in their comprehension of the new material, a thumbs to the side if they have
a question(s) about the new material, or a thumbs down if they do not understand the new
material and need additional help from the teacher.

Characteristics of Effective Formative Assessment Practices

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3. How is the formative assessment process different than Summative and Interim
Assessment?

Teachers use the formative assessment process naturally and continuously within daily/weekly
lessons to collect data on students’ learning progression. Effective formative practices allow
teachers the ability to make real-time adjustments to both lessons and teaching strategies in
order to meet student needs while answering the question, “What comes next for student
learning?” Interim assessments are different than
formative in that they are designed to benchmark
and monitor progress by providing multiple
data points across time through periodic
snapshots that are typically grade level and
school-centered, and that answer the question,
"What progress are our students making?"
Interim assessments are test events, while
formative practices are a part of the learning
process, embedded within an instructional flow
(not a ‘stop and test’ event). Summative
assessments are administered to students to
determine mastery of skills at the end of a unit,
semester, or year. Dr. James Pop ham, a UCLA
professor and advocate of formative assessment
describes the differences between the two types
of assessment as, “Whereas formative assessment
intends to improve ongoing instruction,
summative assessment tries to answer the
question, ‘Was instruction effective?’” More
simply, formative assessment is assessment FOR learning, while summative assessment is
assessment OF learning.

4. What is best practice regarding formative assessment practices and grading?

“Stated bluntly, giving students a grade

is not formative feedback.” ~
Margaret Heritage

This question has been debated by both teachers and experts within the field. Many educators
believe that assessments are only formative if they are ungraded and used solely to guide and
improve student learning. Practitioners with this viewpoint believe that because formative
assessment is thought of as “practice”, it should not be scored nor count toward a summative
grade. Instead, they believe that student progress should be communicated through specific,
actionable, and immediate feedback including face-to-face conferencing or narrative comments.
Providing students with written or verbal feedback is more powerful that assigning a grade.
Feedback should be given on-the-spot to within one day of the formative assessment, either

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through student-teacher conferencing, written narrative comments, small group dialogue with
teacher or peer conferencing. Feedback should help students and teachers answer the essential
questions:

 Where am I going? “Feedback is among the most critical influences on

 Where am I now? student learning.” ~ John Hattie & Helen Timperley
 How do I get from here to there?

Teachers should always provide specific feedback through suggestions to improve

performance, deepen learning or overcome misunderstandings rather than praising or shaming
student work. Formative assessment allows for a constant cycle of feedback that can accelerate
student mastery of the learning targets.

5. How can homework be used formatively?

Homework can be used formatively if:

 The homework is selectively assigned for practice within a new learning target
 Teachers provide students with specific, actionable, and immediate feedback regarding
their performance on the homework (Grades are not considered formative feedback)
 Teachers quickly use evidence gathered from the homework to adjust what comes next
in instruction

Homework as Formative Assessment Vignettes:

Math Homework: A teacher assigns math students two problems as homework based on the
learningtarget. The following day, he collects the assignment as an entrance ticket, and quickly
scans the assignments to form small groups based on the specific skills each student needs to
successfully master the learning target.

Science Homework: A science teacher assigns homework to write a hypotheses for an experiment.
At the beginning of class, students discuss their hypotheses in small groups while the teacher
listens to and observes discussions, noting students who need further guidance in writing strong
hypothesis, and those who need explicit instruction to begin writing a basic hypothesis.

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 6.How can I make sure my students are using the feedback I provide to advance their
learning?

Many teachers observe students throwing away

assignments after giving the letter grade a quick glance,
forgetting that the assignment ever existed. Through the
formative assessment process, effective feedback is
communicated not through letter grades, but through
verbal and written conversations. Within the formative
assessment process, teachers are constantly tracking and
monitoring student learning, and students are constantly
working with teachers to close learning gaps. Because
most educators do not grade formative assessments, they
serve as a means of practice. Through this practice,
students work to improve their skills by seeking
feedback from teachers and peers before embarking on
the summative assessment.

6. What if a student shows a solid understanding of the learning target within my

formative practices, but does NOT within the classroom summative assessment
(chapter test, end of unit test, etc.)?

This issue may occur because the classroom summative assessment is not measuring the
intended target or standards that were measured within the formative practice. There
should be a direct relationship between what is being assessed formatively and
summatively. It is important for educators to remember that formative assessment
practices focus on smaller learning targets and the more immediate question, “What
comes next for student learning?” while summative assessments determine mastery of
skills at the end of a unit, semester, or year answering the more retrospective question,
“Did all of my students meet the standard/master the content?”

Learning Targets:
Statements of
intended learning
Standards: based on the
Standards are Learning targets are
What students should standards. Learning
assessed by continually assessed
know and be able to targets are in student
summative by formative
do as identified by the friendly language;
assessments after practices embedded
statewide academic specific to the lesson
instruction, during within the
standards. of the day; and
test events instructional cycle.
identified by the
teacher.
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This issue could also occur because students are not as familiar with the summative test.
Teachers can familiarize students with the assessment format, encourage students to read and
listen to all of the directions, and review test-taking strategies.

7. What are “Common Formative Assessments?” How are they different than formative
assessment practices?

Common formative assessments” are created by teacher teams and are administered to
whole grade levels, or to an entire class at various times throughout a unit, semester, or
year to collaboratively monitor student progress and instructional effectiveness within a
classroom, grade, or department. The results are analyzed collaboratively within data
teams to provide timely feedback and allow teachers to adjust instruction as needed to
meet student needs within classroom instruction. The term “common formative
assessment” is used by some to describe a process that teacher teams follow to monitor
student progress and respond in ways that are common to the grade level, content area,
or to the PLC.

*If you are using common formative assessments, remember that they are just one part of the ongoing
formative assessment process that involves student participation, individualized assessment for learning,
and personalized feedback. Ideally teacher teams and PLCs are collaborating around all student
information, regardless of assessment type, not just formative data.

Formative Assessment “Common Formative

Characteristics
Practices Assessment”
Assesses specific learning targets X X
Based on state standards X X
Designed by teachers X X
Scheduled, administered and X
reviewed by collaborative
teacher teams with entire grade
level/class
Allows for immediate X x
adjustments to instruction
Elicits evidence of student X
learning (data)
Informs instruction X X
Timely X X
Involves students X X
Provides data on individual X
students
Individualizes assessment for X
learning
Provides personalized feedback X

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“An assessment is an important part of the formative-assessment process, but it is only that—a part of the
formative-assessment process. The entire process involves …, selection or construction of suitable
assessment procedures, judgments about whether assessment-elicited evidence should lead to
adjustments, and choices about the nature of any adjustments. Assessments are a key component of the
formative-assessment process, but they are not the entire process.”
~James Popham

9. How much time does the formative assessment process take? How do I find time in my
schedule to use it my classroom?

The formative assessment process should occur naturally within lessons, and therefore, it
should not take away from instructional time, but rather personalize instruction. However,
teachers will need to factor in time to review the information gathered from their formative
practices whether it be looking through exits slips to form small group skill work, reading
through anecdotal notes to understand student misconceptions, or studying data from a quiz to
determine which students have shown proficiency and are ready to move on to the next
standard or skill. Usually, teachers have already incorporated these practices into their planning
time, since this is simply part of being a reflective practitioner. The formative assessment
process is simply thinking about student learning progressions, and adjusting to meet the day-
to-day instructional needs.

10. Can I purchase an effective “formative assessment” commercial product to use in my

classroom?

Formative practices are teacher techniques, not a test that can be purchased or pulled off a shelf.
By definition, these practices change continuously based on student needs, although educators
likely have a core set of tools and techniques upon which they rely to support these formative
practices. If a vendor is selling a formative product, be cautious. A practice or technique can’t
be purchased, but they can be developed and refined. These teacher techniques are embedded
into an educator’s professional practice and are used to engage students.

There are a number of tools that may aid your formative practices. For example, educators may
purchase clickers that allow them to gather immediate feedback from students, by polling class
understanding. There are also several formative assessment apps available to download and
use in your classroom to gather immediate feedback from your students. These tools can be an
efficient way to collect formative data. Remember that effective formative practices are the
teacher designed strategies, not the tools or technology that are purchased.

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Assessment for Learning in Classroom Practice

How to use Assessment for Learning in classroom practice?

Much classroom practice can be described as assessment activities. Teachers set tasks and
activities and pose questions to learners. Learners respond to the tasks, activities and questions,
and the teachers make judgment on the learners’ knowledge, understanding and skills
acquisition as evidenced in the learners’ responses. These judgment on learners’ performance
happen quite naturally in the course of any teaching and learning session and require two-way
dialogue, decision-making and communication of the assessment decision in the form of quality
feedback to the learner on their performance. Depending on how successfully these classroom
practices have been undertaken, learning will have taken place in varying degrees from learner
to learner. At the end of each session, teachers need to ask themselves: What do learners know
now that they did not know before they attended the session? Although somewhat crude, this
will evaluate how effective a particular session has been.

How to plan for learning?

Learning does not happen incidentally, it has to be carefully planned. Planning is an essential
part of a teacher’s workload. Teachers need to plan and create opportunities within each session
for both the learner and the teacher to obtain information about a learner’s progress towards the
learning goals defined by the teacher at the start of the session. It is crucial that the learning
goals are communicated to the learner, and of equal importance is that the teacher checks to
ensure that the learner not only understands the learning goals, but also appreciates the
assessment criteria which will be used to assess the work.

Teachers need to:

 Decide what is going to be learnt in a particular session.

 Define the learning goals.
 Communicate the learning goals to the learners
 Compile questions and design tasks to check learner understanding of the learning
goals.
 Explain to the learners the criteria which will be used to assess their work.
 Decide how feedback is going to be provided.
 Define how learners will take an active part in the assessment process.
 Plan opportunities for learners to use the feedback provided on the assessment decision
to further progress.

How to establish the learning goals?

At the beginning of an academic year it is usual for teachers to plan the delivery of the
curriculum for the forthcoming year. A scheme of work details what is going to be covered each
week and how it is going to be done to ensure the curriculum governed by the awarding bodies
is covered. However, it is crucial that teachers identify the learning objectives for each session to
ensure that chunks of time are devoted to specific learning goals and the sessions are not

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wasted ‘carrying on from the last session’ without anything specific being achieved. It is
therefore important that schemes of work identify the learning goals for each session and define
how they are going to be assessed.

How to share learning goals?

For learners to understand the learning goals, it is important that teachers explain and check
that they comprehend what they have to do during the task, what they have to learn from doing
it and why they have to learn it. Often learners do not understand why they have to undertake
a task and how it fits into the curriculum; if they did, they would be more inclined to do it. The
learning outcomes, in terms of the work that learners have to produce, have to be clearly
communicated to learners and involve them in the learning process. Learning cannot be done to
individuals; it has to be done with them and by them. It is evident, therefore, that effective two-
way communication is the key to unlocking learners’ full potential to learn and ultimately
achieve. Encourage learners to observe how others are responding to a task, so that they will
begin to apply the assessment criteria to their own work.

Teachers need to explain:

 The learning objectives and why learners have to achieve them (and check learners’
understanding).
 The assessment criteria and how to use them.
 What learners have done well and what they need to do to improve.

How to communicate the assessment criteria?

It is crucial for teachers to share the assessment criteria with learners to promote the chances of
learning taking place. The assessment criteria should be clear and should not be added after
learners have generated the work for a given task. It is therefore vital that all learners in a group
understand what they are trying to achieve in a given task and why they are doing it. If teachers
want learners to understand and demonstrate their commitment to a task, they need, as far as it
is possible, to decide on the goals and define the assessment criteria on which their progress is
to be assessed. How to communicate the assessment criteria? It is crucial for teachers to share
the assessment criteria with learners to promote the chances of learning taking place. The
assessment criteria should be clear and should not be added after learners have generated the
work for a given task. It is therefore vital that all learners in a group understand what they are
trying to achieve in a given task and why they are doing it. If teachers want learners to
understand and demonstrate their commitment to a task, they need, as far as it is possible, to
decide on the goals and define the assessment criteria on which their progress is to be assessed.

Teachers need to:

 Use appropriate language and terminology which learners have developed,

communicate the learning goals and assessment criteria, and check learner
understanding.
 Demonstrate how the assessment criteria can be met by use of examples.
 Encourage peer assessment through effective use of assessment criteria

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  Promote self-assessment through effective use of the assessment criteria.

How to create effective session learning plans?

Teachers need to make sure that every session learning plan includes:

 Details of the learning intentions/outcomes.

 How learning intentions/outcomes are going to be shared with learners and methods of
checking their understanding.
 Information on the assessment criteria and marking
 Assessment opportunities
 Methods of feedback to be provided.
 Details of the differentiated range of learners making up the group.
 Information on teaching and learning styles incorporated into the session.
 How review times are to be used.
 The specifications of the differentiated teaching and learning materials to be used to
meet individual learner needs and create effective learning opportunities.
 An evaluation section for the teacher to complete to say what did or did not work well
and why.

How to create a learning ethos within a college or school?

The teacher and the learning community as a whole must:

 Demonstrate that learning is valued and celebrated.

 Foster trust in all professional relationships.
 Develop learners to ask for help and to access support accordingly
 Use learning to promote self-esteem.
 Genuinely believe that all learners can learn and improve against their own previous
performance, not that of others.
 Demonstrate the use of value-added data.
 Provide teachers with appropriate training and support in Assessment for Learning.
 Encourage team involvement in defining any strategies designed to promote change
whether it be imposed by external agencies or within an institution.

Assessing learning: The effective use of questioning

No matter how well a teaching and learning session is planned, or how well a teacher may feel
at the conclusion to the session, it is not how well the teacher has performed, but the reaction of
the learners that matters. The real test is whether learners have learnt and ultimately progressed
against the learning objectives defined at the start of the session. Testing learning is an
important part of classroom practice, and questioning is one of the most common methods of
checking learner understanding. Questioning is something teachers do naturally as part of their
daily routine, but developing the skills associated with questioning techniques presents many
challenges for teachers and is something that is developed over time. Teachers need to review
what is to be learnt in anyone teaching and learning session and plan for the inclusion of

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questioning accordingly. When to pose open and closed questions, how to develop a question
distribution strategy and when to use questions to check learners’ knowledge, comprehension
and application are all issues that teachers should consider.

The Common Inspection Framework (CIF ) used by Ofsted and the Adult Learning Inspectorate
( ALI ) as the basis for inspecting post-16 education and training focuses on the learner and
learning. One of the key questions within the CIF is: How well do learners learn, progress and
ultimately achieve?

It is therefore crucial that:

 The learning aims and objectives are clearly defined and shared with the learner.
 Methods of testing learning are appropriately identified.

Teachers need to be aware that:

 Questioning is a skill which needs to be developed.

 Communication is a two-way process.
 Questioning is a good way to develop an interactional style of communication.
 They need confidence to develop questioning skills.
 When they pose a question, they have no idea as to what the learner is going to say,
despite their hopes.
 They need to have the courage and confidence to deal with any answer, no matter how
bizarre.
 When they ask learners questions, they have to be prepared for the learner asking them
a wide range of searching questions in response.
 They have to be confident in their subject matter and be well prepared.
 One of the first stages of questioning is getting the learner to talk, which may seem
strange as teachers spend a lot of time trying to get the learner to be quiet.
 What they are really trying to do is get the learner to think out aloud, check their
learning and share knowledge with their peers.
 Some teachers tend to talk far too much without checking that learners understand what
they are saying.

Planning

Like everything else, careful planning is required to support the development of the
questioning technique and to check learning thoroughly.

 Teachers need to plan questioning rather than hope that a question pops into their head
at an appropriate moment. It might be useful to list appropriate questions on the reverse
side of the lesson plan and use them to check learning at appropriate times. Remember,
the order in which Teachers ask these questions is also important.
 Although teachers may prepare the questions before the session, they may have to
change the questions, or use a series of unrehearsed questions, to respond to answers
they receive. In other words, teachers need to plan a questioning strategy, but be
prepared to develop tactics on the spot.

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  It may be useful to pose open questions at the end of one lesson which stimulate
curiosity about the next teaching session.

Why do teachers question learner?

Teachers question learners to:

 Involve learners in the session through thinking.

 Provide the teacher with an insight into the level of learning.

What are ‘closed’ questions?

Closed questions usually only require the learner to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and as such are not
particularly valuable.

What are ‘open’ questions?

Open questions require learners to think and formulate a response. If a teacher asks learners to
explain why vaccines work, then the learners have to provide this explanation in their own
words. This gives the teacher feedback especially if the teacher observes the learners’ body
language. Once teachers have developed their questioning technique, they will need to look at
question distribution.

Question distribution strategy.

 Pose the question to the whole group.

 Pause – allowing all learners to think of (or discuss) the answer Pose, Pause, Pounce
(PPP)
 Name a learner to answer.
 Listen to the answer.
 Reward correct answers.
 Incorrect answers should not be ridiculed either by the teacher or the remainder of the
group of learners.
 Spread the questions around the class so that all can participate.
 Encourage all to join in – in a regulated manner – for example:
‘Helen, can you give an example of what James means?

Question distribution:

If teachers work around the class in an obvious systematic order, those who have answered end
to relax a little, and sometimes ‘switch off’.
 Use a technique which is not obvious.
 Be conscious of the tendency to choose the same learners when asking questions.
 Most teachers tend to concentrate their attention on those learners, so deliberately pay
attention to those normally omitted.

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Posing questions:

Questions may be asked at various levels. For example, in the cognitive domain teachers could
ask:

 What are the main parts of a flower?’ (knowledge)

 What does this abrupt change in the graph mean?’ (comprehension)
 Knowing the properties of sulphuric acid and the composition of water, predict what
would happen if the two were mixed.’ (application)

Feedback on assessment

The Assessment for Learning model is only as good as the quality of feedback provided to
learners. Successful Assessment for Learning strategies hinge on the nature of feedback, its
content and the way it is received and used by learners. Many adults can still remember
feedback they received from teachers numerous years later and not always for the best reasons.
Off-the-cuff remarks or comparisons with older siblings do little to promote learner confidence.
Comments such as: ‘You are never Robert Evans’ sister are you? I’m surprised – he was such a
bright lad!’ can be destructive and can manifest themselves in learners becoming disengaged.
Generalized statements that mean nothing to the learner do not help to promote improvement
in individuals’ work. Comments such as: ‘There are some good bits and some bad bits in this
piece of work – keep going!’ only serve to leave the learner confused and do not identify areas
for improvement, nor do they offer practical advice on the required remedial work to overcome
shortcomings.

Ultimately, feedback should help learners improve in a specific activity; when feedback
provides correction or improvement in a piece of work, it is valued by learners and acts as an
incredible motivator. Remember, teachers must genuinely demonstrate that they believe that all
learners can learn and improve, but the improvements must be measured against their own
previous performance, not that of others. Learners need to be able to trust the teacher/assessor.
Publishing and explaining the assessment criteria before the work is undertaken will
demonstrate that there is no hidden agenda. Moving the goalposts after work has been set only
serves to promote an atmosphere of mistrust. Feedback should be something that learners look
forward to receiving – not because it gives praise and offers false hope of success, but because
it contains honest, professional judgments that clearly articulate to learners at the appropriate
level. It should be a commendation for what they have done well, coupled with constructive
advice and guidance on how to improve areas of their work that need developing.

What is feedback?

 Feedback is providing information to an individual which focuses on their performance

or behaviour.
 The feedback provided should be delivered in a positive manner and lead to action to
affirm or develop an individual’s performance or behavior.
 Feedback provided should not be of a personal nature and should focus on hard data,
facts or observed examples of evidence.

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Types of feedback
Affirmation feedback:

 Affirmation feedback is provided as soon as possible after a performance has been

observed. ‘Well done, Ben, you observed safe working practices while preparing a
window mount for your artwork.”

Developmental feedback:

‘‘Nancy, next time you stretch paper, use gum strip instead of masking tape to secure the paper
to your drawing board.”

Effective feedback:

 Effective feedback is tailored to meet the needs of the individual and is directly linked to
observable evidence – either a learner’s written or practical work or a performance of a
given task.
 It focuses on individual action points.
 Effective feedback deals with one point at a time.

When learners complete a piece of work and hand it in to the teacher, they expect two
responses:

 The assessment decision (grade or mark), but more importantly,

 Feedback on their performance.

Sometimes learners focus too much on the grade or mark out of 10 that they have been awarded
for a particular piece of work without taking the necessary notice of the information contained
within the written feedback which could help them improve the work or affect the way they
approach the next task or assignment. Learners need to be guided into the appropriate use of
feedback – it does not happen incidentally. Opportunities need to be created for learners to use
feedback appropriately and take the required action.

The benefits to learners of effective feedback

Teachers’ feedback should act as scaffolding to support learners’ skill building and the
acquisition of knowledge. Teachers provide the ‘x’ factor in promoting learning through
intervention strategies and feedback on learners’ performance. Feedback must not be confused
with doing the work for the learners or giving them so much help that it becomes the teacher’s
work. There is an art to providing support and feedback and it is definitely not giving learners
the solution to a problem as soon as they become stuck. Learners must be given opportunities to
think a problem through for themselves, which is a crucial part of the learning process, so that
the piece of work is their own and the end result evidences their learning through which
individuals can take much satisfaction in their progress and achievements.

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There is no doubt that learners can and do benefit from effective feedback.

 They know how well they are progressing.

 They are informed of their strengths and of areas they need to improve.
 They know what they need to do to improve.

The benefits of effective feedback are greatly enhanced when feedback is applied on a number
of attempts so that progress can be tracked from one attempt to the next and illustrated by
developmental improvement.

Effective feedback and its appropriate use can improve:

Progress: progress is made when learners know and understand what they need to do to
improve and are given time to undertake the required action to bring about an improvement in
their work.

Achievement: as a result of progress being made in each teaching and learning session,
opportunities for learners to achieve will increase.

Learners handing work in on time: work being handed in and the return of marked work with
feedback is a two-way contract. The dates for handing in and returning marked work should be
adhered to by both parties. If feedback is valued, it will promote the desired effect – work is
handed in on time.

Learner confidence: effective feedback which recognizes what the learner has done well and
instigates further progress promotes learner confidence.

Motivation: motivation is enhanced when learners can see for themselves that they are
improving as a result of taking the action recommended in the feedback.

Attendance and timekeeping: when feedback is valued and thereby worth receiving, learners
are encouraged to attend teaching and learning sessions and timekeeping does not become an
issue.

Retention: when feedback is valued and progress is seen by the learner to have been made,
retention does not become an issue.

Behavior in class: the most effective behavior management strategy is the demonstration of
progress which has resulted from effective teaching and learning.

Learner–teacher relations: when feedback is effective, learners value teachers’ contributions and
this is apparent in the quality of the learner–teacher relationship.

Learner participation in class: when learners receive helpful and constructive feedback, they
are encouraged to contribute to classroom activities.

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