1406 Enabling Learning and Assessment

Item 1

By Charlotte Bell

FORMAL AND INFORMAL STRATEGIES USED IN MY TEACHING

My subject specialism is information technology

Formal Assessment

The most formal assessment strategy I use is the summative assessment at the end of each unit. As my subject specialism is very practical, learners need to be able to demonstrate various criteria in order to prove that they possess the relevant knowledge and skills to pass the unit. I have to make judgements on the assignment and decide whether they have met all the criteria. Each learner has two opportunities to pass the assignment; if they don’t achieve first time then I give them motivational feedback about where they went wrong and allow them to correct their mistakes.

“The output of assessment is ‘evidence’; evidence is the confirmation that assessment has occurred and the way

it is proven” (Wilson, 2009, p267)

Initial Assessment

• The initial assessment for my course is done formally as it is used to stream the groups so the learners are placed with others of similar ability.

• It is a short online quiz that is done individually which indicates the learners prior knowledge in each topic.

• A more informal ‘skills audit’ is also provided as a cross-reference where the learners can self-assess their abilities.

Informal Assessment

• The majority of assessment within my teaching is informal and formative. I have found that there are lots of informal strategies that work well in assessing:

Informal Assessment

• A useful start to a topic is to gauge the learners previous experience.

• One way I like to do this is to use Padlet an online wall where you can add ‘post-its’.

Peer and Self-Assessment

• Peer and self-assessment is a great way of increasing confidence as well as developing essential evaluation and feedback skills.

• “Pupils reflection about their own understanding

can also be used to inform future teaching –

their feedback can indicate where more

time needs to be spent on some topics and

where is can be saved on others”

(Black et al, 2002, p11-12)

Peer and Self-assessment• As my subject has a lot of

terminology a technique I like to use is questions on folded coloured paper– Different colours represent topics– I use lighter and darker shades to

differentiate between higher and lower level questions on that topic

• I get the students to pick a question, answer it and then pass it back

• The students then pick again from the pile and assess whether they agree with the answer or whether they want to add something

Advantages

• Formal Assessment– Gives learners a goal to aim for

and focus on– Useful for providing grades or

target grades in mock assessments

– Gives a clear account of the learners strengths and areas for improvement

– Allows me to give formal feedback on what they need to do to improve

– Learners can have a second opinion on assessment via internal or external verification

• Informal Assessment– Allows me to continuously

assess learners and see up to date results of their progress

– Allows me to see any common misunderstandings and address them in my planning

– Allows for creativity with criteria to provide better ‘stickability’

– Can be tailored for individual learners needs

– Can allow students to learn independently or receive tutor/peer support

Disadvantages

• Formal Assessment– Learners can feel under

pressure and not perform well

– It does not always provide a true representation of current skills

– Can be demotivating if learners perform poorly

• Informal Assessment– Some students can be

unwilling to participate in group work or demonstrations

– Learners might not put their full effort in or take an activity seriously

– Some students may dominate discussions or monopolise the tutors time leading to other students missing out

PRINCIPLES OF ASSESSMENT

Validity

• My summative assessments are valid as they measure a set of skills specified on a checklist which can be demonstrated and/or observed.

• Similarly, formative assessment can be validated through structured observations.

“A valid assessment method is one which tests

whether the aims and objectives of a learning

experience have been achieved” (Armitage et al,

2012, p163)

Reliability

• Reliability involves the same assessment producing the same results with different learners in different situations.

• Formally, reliability can be ensured by marking against the set criteria and through internal verification.

• Informally, it is more of a challenge.

• One example of this is when I tasked my learners with creating a logo.

• Everyone grasped the techniques involved in changing the design and layering, however one learner made theirs very large over the whole page.

• As logos are generally small and the next task was to use it as a letter header I had to explain their mistake.

• I could have provided context via an demonstration or discussion so all learners are clear on what is expected.

(Example of one students logo)

Authenticity• How closely does the

assessment mirror the real world?

• It would not be authentic for me to give out an assessment without first explaining the context in which it can be applied in real life situations.

• Furthermore, it would be unfair to assess IT work without providing a computer.

• How can you check that work is original and the learners own work?

• Plagiarism can be an issue with authenticity, however formal assessments in my subject specialism must be done in college and individually. Therefore there are few issues for me.

• Informally it is up to me as the tutor to continuously assess by asking questions to ensure the learners understand.

Sufficiency

• I have to make sure that the tasks and activities I use provide evidence that the outcomes have been met.

• I do this by using the criteria as a base and create my activities around it.

• This also allows me to add extra useful information for the learners that need to be stretched.

Fairness

• Every learner has to have an equal chance of a good and fair assessment.

• This means I have to take into account any disabilities or educational needs and ensure I make adjustments.

LEARNING THEORY AND ASSESSMENT

Bloom• Bloom’s taxonomy helps me

to provide learning outcomes that gradually progress through levels of thought processes.– Initially I will ask students to

remember and understand previous topics and then apply them to a task

– Afterwards they can analyse and reflect on how they have done and along with feedback from me evaluate how the skills can be used in a different situation

– They can then put all they have learnt into practice, and create in a summative assessment

Kolb1. During workshops I informally

assess my learners2. I then give them verbal

feedback to highlight any areas for improvement

3. The learner and I can then mutually agree what needs to be done to improve their assessment

4. The learner tries out the improvements and applies them to the summative assessment

The cycle can then start again

Maslow• In order for learners to

perform well in assessment I first need to ensure I fulfil their physiological and safety needs by providing a safe and positive learning environment

• I can then boost their social skills and self esteem with formative assessment and motivational feedback

• This provides them with the skills to learn independently and reach self-actualisation

ANALYSE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY ISSUES FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING IN YOUR OWN PRACTICE.

Inclusivity• It is important to ensure that all

my learners feel included. I do this by taking into account different learning styles and providing a range of materials to support learning.

• After I have demonstrated a method the students are invited to:– have a go themselves

(kinaesthetic) – if they are struggling then they

can go onto the college’s VLE where I upload videos (auditory)

– and instructional handouts (visual).

• This is also useful for differentiation; the students who are less confident can have access to the online resources to assist them and the more able learners have access to extension activities that will stretch and challenge them further.

Educational Needs• In order to ensure I meet the

needs of all learners I use a group profile which includes the student’s prior knowledge in my subject along with any educational needs that I need to address. This informs my planning.

• Knowing my learners and their capabilities also enables me to set individualised targets which can be mutually agreed upon.

• I had a student with epilepsy so I was careful not to show videos on the board and instead put them online for students to access individually.

• I had a student with dyslexia so I reformatted her handouts so that different topics were separated and ensured I gave her one to one support whenever possible.

Diversity

• Learners often have barriers; the most common one in my group is confidence due to being out of education for some time.

• I address this by giving individual support and checking on every learner not just the learners who ask for help.

• It is important that I find ways to celebrate the diverse nature of my learners. I can do this by referring to popular culture they are interested in.

• I also need to ensure that my resources represent all ages, genders and ethnicities.

SUMMARISE THE DEVELOPMENTS YOU INTEND TO MAKE IN YOUR OWN ASSESSMENT PRACTICE.

• I will use a reflective cycle such as Kolb to look back on what went well and what could be developed to progress my assessment practice in order to use them with different groups.

• I will ensue equality and diversity by further differentiating and providing higher level tasks that will stretch and challenge my learners.– I can use Blooms taxonomy to assist with this using learning

outcomes that develop in difficulty.• I will incorporate more self and peer assessment into

lessons as this gives students a further sense of independence and confidence which will help them in further study.

• Discover more ways to assess formatively using technology such as online quiz games and collaborative tools such as Padlet.

References

Armitage, et al (2012) Teaching and training in Lifelong Learning. 4th edition. Maidenhead, Open University PressBlack, P et al (2002) Working inside the black box. London, GL Assessment LimitedBloom, B (1956) Bloom's Taxonomy [Online] Available from: http://ww2.odu.edu/educ/roverbau/Bloom/blooms_taxonomy.htmKolb, D (1984) Kolb – Learning Styles [Online] Available from: http://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html [Accessed 26/12/13]Maslow, A (1943) Hierarchy of Needs [Online] Available from: http://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.htmlWilson, L (2009) Practical teaching: A guide to PTLLS & DTLLS. Andover, Cengage Learning