Using higher order questioning in inquiry based learning

8/14/2019 Using higher order questioning in inquiry based learning

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Action Research

PART A

PLANNING

Identifying a Research Project

How can a blog be used to track students ability to self review and to identify next

learning steps.

Name of School/Class

Balmacewen Intermediate School

Room 23

Year 8 class

TeacherAnna Garthwaite

Context

Class/School Description

Year 8 class: 28 pupils 15 boys and 13 girls

The school is currently engaged in a programme of professional development

involving ICT and Action Research.

Research Focus/Questions

To investigate using the tool of a classroom blog to track students ability to self

review and for them to identify next learning steps. Through teaching self-review

skills and using within classroom practice students should increase their ability to

self-review.

Rationale

WHY BOTHER WITH SELF ASSESSMENT?

(aaia Association for Achievement and Improvement through Assessment)

This statement formed the rationale for this action research. We ask the students toself assess their work frequently but often their self assessment comments lack depth

or self awareness. This statement struck me as a reason why students often write

surface answers without any real understanding of their achievements.

With further reading it became evident to me that self assessment is a tool for the

class which is under-utilised and is probably not understood completely by myself as

well as the students in my class yet I could see it could be a powerful tool for

students to take control of their learning.


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How does it benefit the students?

They become responsible for their own learning.

Are able to recognise next steps in learning.

Are actively involved in the learning process.

Becomes more independent and motivated.

How does it benefit the teacher?

A shift of responsibility from teacher to pupil.

Feedback helps teacher identify pupil progress.

Identifies next steps for students.

Matches students perceptions of understanding with teachers pupils explain

strategies so teacher identifies thinking process.

Using the blog as a tracking tool allows for students to have an ongoing record of

their self review and to build up a picture over time of their progress.

Project Outline

To teach the skills of self assessment.

To set up a class blog site.

To set up a classroom display for students to refer back to.

To give students a baseline questionnaire.

Preparation

Expected Outcomes

Students will be able to self assess their learning and identify their next learning steps,demonstrating more awareness of their own learning and having a greater

understanding of their achievements and learning.

Outline Plan

Preparation

Students complete a survey to provide baseline data on self assessment.

o Questions include:

What are my strengths and weakness?

How am I doing in my school work? Do I know how I am doing in my school work?

I know what my school targets/goals are?

How am I going to make this improvement?

How will I know if my work is good/improving?

What do I need to improve?

Set up a class blog site 21classes.com


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Lessons and ActivitiesPrior to teaching self-assessment skills I asked the students to complete a survey to

give me an indication of how they viewed their own learning to provide me with

some baseline data.

I also set up the class blog site 21classes.com. This is to be used as a tool for

students to record their self-assessment and as a way for me to track their progress.

Teaching self assessment skills:

Self assessment was introduced through discussion and brainstorming.

As a class we discussed:

What is effective self assessment?

What is the point of self assessment?

I put a display with points that had been discussed to provide information for

students to refer back to. Display included:

Why bother with self assessment? - It is the means by which you, as students,

take responsibility for your own learning.

Photos of students asking questions eg How will I know if my work is good?

What are my goals?

Self assessment was modelled.

Using exemplars from Level 3,4,5, students used a matrix to assess the work and to

identify the next learning steps.

Students assessed Teachers writing and suggested next learning steps.

Students begun to self assess own writing using a matrix.Specific questions were written under the matrix to ensure students written comments

were focused. For example on the Volleyball Assessment matrix students are asked to

comment on:

Which skills you have improved on

Which skills do you need to improve further

How well do you use the skills in the game?

This formed the model for self assessment in the classroom environment. Students

were regularly viewing and discussing exemplars to assess the learning and the next

learning step. Then using the matrix to assess their own learning and commenting ontheir strengths and areas that still needed to be developed.

Initially this was planned only for English and Reading but was soon incorporated

into all areas of the curriculum particularly in integrated units.

I also reviewed the term goal sheet that is handed out each term. In light of the

students gaining a greater awareness of their learning I redesigned the Term goal sheet

to reflect their more specific goals. I also had an individual conference with each

student to discuss their learning goals for the term and to discuss strategies to help

achieve these goals. I enjoyed this as it enabled for some meaningful discussions and

built a sense of partnership with the students.


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The new format was titled My Individual Learning Programme. The questions

included:

o What have I achieved so far this year?

o What are my goals for Term 3?

o School work:o Extra Curricular:

o Personal:

o I chose my goals because:

o How am I going to achieve them?

o What strategies do I need?

o What help do I need?

o How will these goals help me?

o Teacher Conference:

The blog site was introduced early on in Term 3 and was incorporated into the GuidedSilent Reading sessions as a follow up activity. The students were asked to write

about how they felt about their learning in Reading and English.

The baseline questionnaire was handed out again towards the end of Term 3 for

students to review their understanding of self assessment.

Evidence Gathering and EvaluationMy sources of evidence included:

o Questionnaires

o Teacher observations

o Blog entries

o Term goals with teacher conference.

The questionnaires I felt offered very limited feedback. Overall there was a general

improvement in how students viewed their understanding and knew what their targets

were, however I suspect that filling out a questionnaire didnt require the students to

really think about their learning where in comparison the teacher conference with

Term Goals seemed to be a more valuable source of information.

The Individual Learning Programme sheet focused the students on what their goals

are and what strategies they need to reach them. By conferencing with each student,there seemed a greater understanding of where to focus learning and became more of

a partnership with each student to achieve their goals. It also allowed for more

questioning of their goals and where they see their strengths and weaknesses.

The blog entries have not been developed as well as I had hoped and still need more

development and modelling. The students like having their own weblog and

individualising it but see it more like an informal chat room. This is an area which I

will need to develop further and to clarify its use and purpose more. It has begun to

be developed as another avenue for parents information about the events in Room 23

and as another avenue for me to post information such as weekly homework and

spelling lists.


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Conclusion

In conclusion I have felt this is a valuable tool for the classroom and offers thestudents far more direction and understanding of their learning. It is tool which I will

continue to use and to develop further.

According to the Assessment for Learning: Beyond the Black Box, Assessment

Reform Group, 1999 (extract Assessment for learning, Secondary National

Strategies, 2007) the seven key characteristics of assessment for learning are:

o That is embedded in a view of teaching and learning of which it is an essential

part.

o Involves sharing learning goals with pupils.

o Aims to help pupils to know and to recognise the standards they are aiming

for.

o Involves pupils in self assessment.

o Provides feedback which leads to pupils recognising their next steps and how

to take them

o Promotes confidence that every pupil can improve.

o Involves both teacher and pupils reviewing and reflecting on assessment

data/information.

This underpins what I have tried to implement into my classroom practice and which I

will need to continue to do, to ensure that each student is able to recognise their

success and achievements and to recognise where their next learning step is.

The Next StepThe next steps include continuing with the Individual Learning Programme sheet

where the students are outlining their goals for the term and how they are going to

achieve the goals. I will continue to conference each student on their term goals as I

found this a very powerful tool to ensure I am reaching students individual needs.

The students will be reflecting on their Term 3 goals and identifying their Term 4

goals in the first week of Term 4.

I will also continue modelling and incorporating self assessment matrix and rubricsinto each curriculum area and expecting to see the students to continue to identify

their learning strengths and areas for improvement.

For the Term 4 inquiry I will give the students the opportunity to select a skill or

learning outcome they wish to achieve, thus providing students with more control

over their learning. I will expect them to be able to justify why their chosen outcome

was selected and why it has been an area for improvement.

The class blog site will continue to evolve over Term 4 although its original purpose

has changed since starting it. I will continue to use it as an information source for

students and parents but I will also introduce a weekly or fortnightly question which

requires the students to think and post some feedback.


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Documents

Using higher order questioning in inquiry based learning