Exploring Assessment For Learning

Exploring
Assessment for
Learning
www.minedu.govt.nz
Page 1 New Zealand Ministry of Education 2009 - copying restricted to use by New Zealand education sector.
You can use this presentation to:
Update, review and/or reflect on the formative

assessment practices in your classroom or school
Use as a resource for exploring professional
development in formative assessment.
Support in-depth Leadership and Assessment
PLD in your school.
www.minedu.govt.nz
What do we want for our students?
We all want students who have high

expectations of themselves as learners;
students who feel confident about their
capacity to learn, who set high goals for their
learning, and who work for themselves to
construct enjoyable, challenging learning
pathways to their futures
(Absolum, 2006)
www.minedu.govt.nz
The word assess
Comes from the Latin verb assidere

meaning to sit with. In assessment, one
should sit with the learner. This implies it
is something we do with and for students
and not to students (Green, 1998)
www.minedu.govt.nz
How do you see assessment?
Activity: Assessment point/task
Use the listed terms as a After learning
starting point to develop a During learning
representation (model, mind-
Feedback
map, concept map) of how
Feed-forward
you see the relationship
Learning continuum
between summative and
formative assessment. Of learning
For learning
This may form the basis for
professional discussion in Looks back
your learning community. Looks forward
Review/reflect
Improve/enhance
www.minedu.govt.nz
What are summative and formative
assessment?
The garden analogy
If we think of our children as plants
Summative assessment of the plants is the process of

simply measuring them. It might be interesting to compare
and analyse measurements but, in themselves, these do
not affect the growth of the plants.
Formative assessment, on the other hand, is the equivalent

of feeding and watering the plants appropriate to their
needs - directly affecting their growth.
www.minedu.govt.nz
Formative and summative assessment
An easy distinction between formative and summative assessment:

Formative assessment is assessment for learning. Its focus is on
future achievement.
Summative assessment is assessment of learning. It assesses what
has been learnt in the past.
However, formative and summative assessment are
interconnected. They seldom stand alone in construction or effect.
Using the terms formative and summative assessment can give
the impression that these are different kinds of assessment or are
linked to different methods of gathering evidence. This is not the
case; what matters is how the evidence is used. (Harlen, 2006)
www.minedu.govt.nz
Useful quotes
Formative assessment uses evidence about achievement to

adapt instruction to meet learner needs. (Wiliam, 2008)
Assessment for the purpose of improving student learning is best

understood as an ongoing process that arises out of the
interaction between teaching and learning. (NZC, 2007)
Formative assessment is a planned process in which teachers or

students use assessment-based evidence to adjust what theyre
currently doing. (Popham, 2008)
Students who have well developed assessment capabilities are

able and motivated to access, interpret, and use information from
quality assessment in ways that affirm or further their learning.
(Directions for Assessment in New Zealand, 2009)
www.minedu.govt.nz
What does the research say?
In 1998 Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam of Kings College, London published
their wide-ranging analysis of research into classroom-based
assessment:
Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards through Classroom

Assessment
The article concludes with: There is a body of firm evidence that

formative assessment is an essential feature of classroom work and
that development of it can raise standards. We know of no other way of
raising standards for which such a strong prima facie case can be made
on the basis of evidence of such large learning gains.
For the full text of the article, go to:

http://weaeducation.typepad.co.uk/files/blackbox-1.pdf
www.minedu.govt.nz
The Black Box: findings
Black and Wiliams research indicates that improving learning

through assessment depends on five deceptively simple
factors:
1. Providing effective feedback to students.
2. Students active involvement in their own learning.
3. Adjusting teaching to take account of the results of
assessment.
4. Recognising the profound influence of assessment on
students motivation and self-esteem - both crucial
influences on learning.
5. Ensuring pupils assess themselves and understand how
to improve.
www.minedu.govt.nz
In summary
The findings of Black & Wiliam indicate that the most

significant learning gains occur when teachers and
students work collaboratively to address learning needs.
To maximise achievement, it is critical that assessment

information is used with students so that they
understand and have a sense of ownership of their
learning.
www.minedu.govt.nz
Implications for classroom practice (not a
comprehensive list)
Being confident that every student can improve.
Creating a learning environment which supports a partnership between
teacher and students.
Using assessment to inform teaching and learning
Sharing assessment results with students and constructing clear and
accessible learning goals with them
Clarifying or co-constructing learning outcomes and ensuring that
students understand them
Involving students in self and peer assessment and giving them
opportunities to reflect on their learning.
Providing feedback that helps students recognise their next steps and
how to take them.
www.minedu.govt.nz
Self-evaluation
Rate yourself from: 5 I do this consistently well, to: 0 I dont do this at all
Do you have confidence that every student in your class can

improve?
How well do you:
Create a learning environment in your classroom?
Share achievement information with students and co-construct clear
learning goals with them?
Use assessment information to feed back into teaching?
Clarify learning outcomes with students?
Involve students in self and peer assessment?
Provide timely focused feedback?
What evidence do you have for your self evaluation?
www.minedu.govt.nz
Assessment references
Absolum, M., Flockton, L., Hattie, J., Hipkins, R., &Reid, I. (2009) Directions for Assessment in
New Zealand. http://www.tki.org.nz/r/assessment/research/mainpage/directions/
Absolum, M. (2006). Clarity in the Classroom. Auckland: Hodder
Black, P. J., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in
Education: Principles, Policy and Practice, 5 (1), 774.
Clarke, S. (2001). Unlocking formative assessment: Practical strategies for enhancing pupils
learning in the primary classroom. London: Hodder and Stoughton.
Clarke, S., Timperley, H., & Hattie, J. (2003). Unlocking formative assessment: Practical
strategies for enhancing pupils learning in the primary and intermediate classroom (New
Zealand ed.). Auckland: Hodder Moa Beckett.
Gipps, C., McCallum, B., & Hargreaves, E. (2000). What makes a good primary school teacher?
London: Routledge Falmer.
Green, J. M. (1998, February). Constructing the way forward for all students. A speech
delivered at Innovations for Effective Schools OECD/New Zealand joint follow-up conference,
Christchurch, New Zealand.
www.minedu.govt.nz
Assessment references
Harlen, W. (1998) Classroom assessment: A dimension of purposes and procedures.

In K. Carr (Ed.), SAMEpapers (pp. 7587). Hamilton, New Zealand: Centre for
Science, Mathematics and Technology Educational Research, University of Waikato.
Harlen, W. (2006) On the Relationship between Assessment for Formative and

Summative Purposes. In J. Gardner (Ed), Assessment and Learning (p. 104). London:
Sage Publications Ltd
Hattie, J. (1999, August). Influences on student learning. Inaugural lecture:

Professor of Education, University of Auckland.
New Zealand Curriculum On-line: http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/
Popham, W.J. (2008). Transformative Assessment (p.7). Virginia, USA: ASCD
Sadler, R. (1989). Formative assessment and the design of instructional systems.

Instructional Science, 18, 11944.
Wiliam, D (2008, August). When is assessment learning-oriented? A presentation

delivered at 4th Biennial EARLI/Northumbria Assessment Conference, Potsdam,
Germany
www.minedu.govt.nz

Exploring Assessment For Learning

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Exploring Assessment For Learning

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Exploring Assessment For Learning

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Exploring

Update, review and/or reflect on the formative

We all want students who have high

Comes from the Latin verb assidere

Summative assessment of the plants is the process of

Formative assessment, on the other hand, is the equivalent

An easy distinction between formative and summative assessment:

Formative assessment uses evidence about achievement to

Assessment for the purpose of improving student learning is best

Formative assessment is a planned process in which teachers or

Students who have well developed assessment capabilities are

Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards through Classroom

The article concludes with: There is a body of firm evidence that

For the full text of the article, go to:

Black and Wiliams research indicates that improving learning

The findings of Black & Wiliam indicate that the most

To maximise achievement, it is critical that assessment

Do you have confidence that every student in your class can

Absolum, M. (2006). Clarity in the Classroom. Auckland: Hodder

Harlen, W. (1998) Classroom assessment: A dimension of purposes and procedures.

Harlen, W. (2006) On the Relationship between Assessment for Formative and

Hattie, J. (1999, August). Influences on student learning. Inaugural lecture:

New Zealand Curriculum On-line: http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/

Popham, W.J. (2008). Transformative Assessment (p.7). Virginia, USA: ASCD

Sadler, R. (1989). Formative assessment and the design of instructional systems.

Wiliam, D (2008, August). When is assessment learning-oriented? A presentation

You might also like