Designing for Deep

understanding through

Assessment

Assessment for Deep understanding

The aim of assessment is primarily to educate and

improve student performance, not merely to

audit it” (Wiggins, 1998).

“Focus tasks on relating central concepts and ideas with other concepts, or to particular

contexts. Linking the task to previously addressed ideas (from either prior class work or other tasks) or to new, as yet unexplored,

concepts or contexts are two ways to strengthen the deep knowledge of a task.

Ensure that the task connects and supports the key concepts being addressed.”

-QT Framework

Assessment for Deep understanding

“To what extent do students demonstrate a profound and

meaningful understanding of central ideas and the relationship between and among those central ideas?”

Quality teaching: A Classroom Practice Guide

Assessment for Deep understanding

Pre-assessmentWhere are my students now? Pre-assessment – Data &

Background knowledge: This can be informal but it is important as it informs teachers what the students know so that a unit of work or program can be differentiated to suit the learning needs of the students. The assessment from the previous unit of work provides rich information to inform the design process.

Pre-assessment

Where are my students now? Unless new knowledge

becomes integrated with the learner's prior knowledge and understanding, this new knowledge remains isolated, cannot be used effectively in new tasks, and does not transfer readily to new situations.

Effective assessment practice is: embedded in the syllabus having clear, direct links with

outcomes planned deliberately and integral to teaching balanced, comprehensive and varied fair, inclusive, valid and reliable ongoing and sequential engaging and student-centred time efficient and manageable supported by models, scaffolds or annotated exemplars that

demonstrate what is expected and what can be achieved reflects any adjustments made to teaching and learning.

Assessment for Deep understanding

• Student direction• Connectedness -

authenticity• Higher-order thinking• Substantive

communication• Explicit quality criteria• Problematic

knowledge

Assessment for Deep understanding

“To what extent does the task require students to demonstrate deep rather than superficial

understanding of their learning?” QT Assessment

Discuss one assessment task that you feel was very effective in your school and /or in a classroom?

What made it effective?

Assessment for Deep understanding

Key questions Are the tasks linked to syllabus outcomes? Are the assessment tasks inclusive of all learners? Do the tasks relate to what is being taught and what the

students need to learn? Are the tasks integrated and connected to what is being

taught? Do the tasks have clear and explicit instructions? Are the tasks challenging and rich, inviting risk-taking and

higher-order thinking skills? Do the tasks invite student direction?

Assessment for Deep understanding

Explicit teaching & learning strategies

How will students demonstrate learning? The opportunities – the quality and range of

assessment The explicit teaching of the knowledge and skills

required including literacy and numeracy The close links with the syllabus The models, annotated samples, scaffolds,

metalanguage The tools: graphic organisers, ICT

Assessment for Deep understanding

Outcomes Key learning ideas Nature of the task Explicit quality criteria Marking guidelines

reflecting the outcomes being assessed

Assessment for Deep understanding First task is teacher

directed Introduces the concept

and the key learning idea/s

Second task encourages risk taking:

Higher-order Moving towards student

directed/open-ended & problematic knowledge

Assessment for Deep understanding

Accurate outcomes Key learning ideas Nature of the task in a

clear and precise rubric The verbs! Explicit quality criteria Marking guidelines

reflecting the outcomes being assessed

Student direction Consideration of different perspectives or

different ways to solve a problem or find a solution

Inquiry Based Method Research choices: posing a question and researching the possible answer

Student designed assessment using the rubric and marking guidelines

Using different forms of ICT Critical reflection and evaluation

Authentic assessment

Connected to the real world and/or performed for an audience

Inquiry-based research Producers and creators

Ask a student in your schools or class: What are you doing and do you get it? What are you being asked to do it? Does it matter? How will you demonstrate that you

have learned it?

Assessment for Deep understanding