Assessment for learning

Outline for today

 What is assessment?

 What does it mean for me?

 Where to next?

 Explore examples of a
balanced assessment
program
 3

The word “Assess”

Comes from the Latin verb

“assidere” meaning “to sit with”.
In assessment a teacher is
supposed to sit with the learner
meaning it is something we do
with and for students and not
something we do to students
(Green, 1998).
In pairs, list the types of assessments you have used
last year. Write them down on a piece of paper.
 5

Types of Assessments

 Pre-assessment or diagnostic assessment. ...

 Formative assessment. ...
 Summative assessment. ...
 Confirmative assessment. ...
 Norm-referenced assessment. ...
 Criterion-referenced assessment. ...
 Ipsative assessment.
 6

Pre-assessment or diagnostic
assessment
 Before creating the instruction, it’s necessary
to know for what kind of students you’re
creating the instruction. Your goal is to get to
know your student’s strengths, weaknesses
and the skills and knowledge the posses
before taking the instruction. Based on the
data you’ve collected; you can create your
instruction.
 7

Formative assessment

 Formative assessment is used in the first

attempt of developing instruction. The goal is to
monitor student learning to provide feedback. It
helps identifying the first gaps in your
instruction. Based on this feedback you’ll know
what to focus on for further expansion for your
instruction.
 8

Summative assessment

 Summative assessment is aimed at assessing the

extent to which the most important outcomes at the
end of the instruction have been reached. But it
measures more: the effectiveness of learning,
reactions on the instruction and the benefits on a
long-term base. The long-term benefits can be
determined by following students who attend your
course, or test. You are able to see whether and how
they use the learned knowledge, skills and attitudes.
 9

Confirmative assessment

 When your instruction has been implemented

in your classroom, it’s still necessary to take
assessment. Your goal with confirmative
assessments is to find out if the instruction is
still a success after a year, for example, and
if the way you're teaching is still on point.
You could say that a confirmative
assessment is an extensive form of a
summative assessment.
 10

Norm-referenced assessment

 This compares a student’s performance

against an average norm. This could be the
average national norm for the subject
History, for example. Other example is when
the teacher compares the average grade of
his or her students against the average
grade of the entire school.
 11

Criterion-referenced assessment

 It measures student’s performances against

a fixed set of predetermined criteria or
learning standards. It checks what students
are expected to know and be able to do at a
specific stage of their education. Criterion-
referenced tests are used to evaluate a
specific body of knowledge or skill set, it’s a
test to evaluate the curriculum taught in a
course.
 12

Ipsative assessment

 It measures the performance of a student

against previous performances from that
student. With this method you’re trying to
improve yourself by comparing previous
results. You’re not comparing yourself
against other students, which may be not so
good for your self-confidence.
 13

Assessment is used to…

Measure students’ learning and progress.

Improve teaching techniques.

Improve the quality of teaching programs.

Raise student achievement.

Report to parents on student progress.

 14

Assessment model

Planning

Assessment Teaching
 16

Summative assessment

 Measures the progress a student has

made.

 Is measured against a set of criteria.

 Is often used at the end of a unit of

work.

 The data obtained can be used for a

variety of purposes.
 18

The garden analogy: Diagnostic

Takes place prior to the growing. You can

diagnose the plants strengths and weaknesses.

You can identify what it needs to be bigger and

stronger
 19

The garden analogy: Formative

Formative assessment is
the ongoing analysis of a
plant’s needs - we must
recognize when it needs to
be fed, watered, and
provided with sunlight in
order for it to grow.
 20

The garden analogy: Summative

Summative assessment of the

measuring of the plant’s growth at a
point.

The measurement tells us how much

the plants have grown.

It does not affect the growth of the

plants.
Take the list of assessments that you have used and
group them into diagnostic, formative and summative
 23

Research shows that there are five key factors needed to

improve learning through assessment:

1. Giving effective feedback to students.

2. Involving students in their own learning.

3. Using assessment to inform what we do next.

4. Understanding that assessment affects the motivation

and self-esteem of students.
5. Students being able to assess themselves and
understanding how to improve.

Black and William (1998)

 25

Inhibiting factors include…

• Teachers assessing the quantity of work and

presentation rather than the quality of learning.

• Giving greater attention to marking and grading,

rather than providing advice for improvement.

• Teachers giving feedback to students to make them

happy rather than to help them to learn more
effectively.
 26

In summary…

Practice based on research tends to consist of

the following:
Clarifying learning objectives at the planning stage

Sharing learning objectives at the beginning of lessons

Involving students in self assessment against the

learning objectives
 27

Summary continued

Focusing oral and written feedback around the learning

objectives of lessons and tasks

Raising students’ self esteem by providing praise and

celebrating student achievement
 28

What does this mean for us?

Assessment in our school must:

• determine our future teaching and
learning methods
• be analyzed to help us to plan future
lessons
• use a variety of assessment techniques
• always be based on the learning
objectives
• be shared with the student
• use criteria so the student recognizes
what they have achieved
 29

What does this mean for us?

Assessment in our school must:

• Have a balanced approach. For example, unit
tests are only one method.
• Use assessment to find out what the students
know before we teach the learning objectives.
• Limit the amount of summative assessment. Not
everything has to count towards a grade.
We need to consider what we do now. What
practices to keep and what do we need to change.
 30

Balanced program of assessment

Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12

Informal and formal observations, teacher marking, comments, self-assessment,

peer assessment, informal and formal teacher feedback

Other forms of diagnostic assessment e.g., pretests, teacher notes,

observations, self-assessment, peer assessment
Conferencing (individually and in small groups)

End of unit formal tests (pencil and paper)

Unit tests; pre and post tests
Practice Tests
Reporting to parents (grades, comments identifying future learning)
Mid-term & End-of-term Examinations
 31

THANK YOU
FOR YOUR
ATTENTION