Assessment+for+Learning


 * Home || Introduction || Purpose of Assessment || Canadian Context || Standardized Testing || Assessment For Learning || Additional Resources || Discussion Question ||

What is assessment for learning? Take a look at this example before reading further:

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Source: Western and Northern Canadian Protocol for Collaboration in Education (2006). Rethinking classroom assessment with purpose in mind. Western and Northern Canadian Protocol for Collaboration in Education (WNCP). Retrieved from [|www.wncp.ca]

Assessment is an integral form of assessment "for every classroom, every day" (p. 9). Separate from standardized tests, which serve an important purpose in "system-level feedback" (p. vii), the purpose of classroom assessment, or is to "differentiate and facilitate learning for all students" (p 9). Formative assessment is the daily assessment that occurs during teaching to faciliate learning.

Classroom assessment has been shown to boost student achievement (Black & Wiliam, 1998 as cited in WNCP, p. 5). Assessment can also boost motivation when: emphasis is on progress and achievement; there is ongoing feedback; students are engaged in the process; builds student confidence; relevant to students' interests; used to scaffold student learning (WNCP, p. 7).

Four basic principles that govern all quality classroom assessment include: validity, reliability, reference points and record keeping.
 * Reliability asks, "Am I certain that this assessment provides 'consistent and stable information' (p. 9) about the students progress? Reliability can be enhanced by factoring in a variety of assessment tasks.
 * Reference points refer to student performance in relation to: criteria or outcomes; other students; student's past performance (p. 10).
 * Validity considers the accuracy of the data in relation to what is being measured or assessed. Does the assessment measure what it is supposed to?
 * Record-keeping ensures quality classroom assessment and provides evidence to support decisions that facilitate and differentiation the learning.

Assessment for learning, assessment of learning and assessment as learning each serve distinct and important purposes.
 * Assessment for learning is designed to make student understanding "visible" (p. 41). This method of assessment enables teachers to facilitate learning.
 * Assessment as learning facilitates students in the construction of personal meaning and understanding by facilitating student reflection and metacogntion.
 * Assessment of learning should confirm that students can demonstrate the critieria or outcomes and provide evidence to parents, students, other teachers and outside agencies (universities, etc.). It is the public form of assessment.

The following thoughts and summaries presented here are taken from the following article: Noddings, No. (2009). **The aims of education**, In D.J. Flinders & Js.J. Thornton (Eds.), //The curriculum// //studies reader// (3rd ed., pp. 425-438). New York: RoutledgeFalmer. =A. What are Aims?= · Aims are not necessarily goals or objectives. · Aims consider “What are trying to accomplish by teaching a certain subject?” · Aims consider “What should be taught?” & “Why should it be taught?” · Aims should provide criteria by which we choose goals, objectives and subject content. · Seven aims that should guide curriculum according to Clarence Kingsley from his “Cardinal Principles”,(p. 426 Curriculum Studies) are: 1. Health 2. Command of fundamental process 3. Worthy home-membership 4. Vocation 5. Citizenship 6. Worthy use of leisure 7. Ethical character 8. Happiness (Noddings extra addition to the list)

Do the aims include too much “outside” academic topics, such as ethical character, worthy home-membership, vocation, etc.? (from “The Cardinal Principles” by Clarence Kingsley.) =B. Nel Noddings views:=

· simply accepting the state of education as it is and the system as it is, is a dangerous and lazy strategy. · a scientific approach to developing curriculum to derive objectives from our aims is quite an impossible task. “Imagine the work required to establish learning objectives for each of these large aims! Where would each objective be placed, and who would teach it?” (Noddings page 427 Curriculum Studies Reader). · If objectives always come first in order to create a curriculum, than freedom ceases to be present. Not all lessons need a stated objective but rather, a description of what the teacher will “do”. The learning outcome of the students could be left “open” in some cases. We must be continually reflecting, discussing and evaluating what we are doing to see if our objectives and procedures are compatible with our aims. (Noddings, page 427 Curriculum Studies Reader). · standardization and high-stakes testing has evolved because of the lack of vigorous discussion of educational aims in the past. =C. Plato and Socrates views:=

· They even had aims talks. · Plato ‘s two great aims were to educate individuals for the benefit of the state (country) and for the benefit of the individual, which would improve the soul. · The aims of Plato and the reformers in America can be quite paralleled. Standards/testing is driven by an aim that benefits the welfare of a nation. However, when it comes to individuals, the aims diverge. · Because Plato and others from the past put all individuals into three categories, some are viewed as more important than others. 1. rulers, 2. guardians (auxiliaries and warriors), and 3. artisans (trades people and other workers). Plato felt that children could be categorized into each of these areas by their “nature”; by watching and testing their talents and interests which would then be compatibly educated according to their natural tendencies. Socrates noted that people will care for what they love. Thus, the key is to give and train people in areas that they care deeply for and then they will perform their one essential job with expertise! · A problem with this thinking is that if everyone’s natural talent led them towards leaders and rulers, who would do the manual labor needed to run a society. And where does equality fall into place here? In schools the aims today are to train everyone **the same** which in actuality doesn’t provide everyone with knowledge in the areas that their aptitude shines. =D. Rousseau, John Dewey and Alfred North Whitehead all had varying opinions on aims-talks as well.= · Academic achievement should not be the //only// attribute valued in order to be considered a successful school. Many careers have areas of knowledge and skills that are very different from the academic material presented. · We shouldn’t ignore one’s own interests when it comes to creating a suitable program of studies. (This is where “happiness” comes in). · Nodding sees that the goals and aims of education as being too broad. · We need to look at the outcome associated with the stated goals and then return to the original aim and see where we went wrong. =E. Educational Standards=

· Educational discussions become dominated by talk of standards · The reason given for this emphasis boils down to economic. (keep the state strong economically and to give every child the opportunity to do well financially) (Noddings, p. 431) · We should be troubled by views that economic equity can be achieved by forcing the same curriculum and standards on all students. · Such aims of equity are too narrow. There is more to individual life and life of a nation than economic superiority. (Noddings, p. 431) · To what expense should a child’s happiness and well-being be measured by the success of their education as it contributes to the economics of a country. =F. In summary:=

Noddings feels that it is very important for us to consider why we promote certain goals in schooling and yet neglect education for personal life and happiness in our career paths.

Two questions to consider: 1. How do we employ aims in guiding curriculum construction for the classroom where interpersonal relationships, management and discipline within school walls all must occur? 2. Do the aims enhance society and/or the state or should they be directed towards the benefit of the individual?