Assessment for Learning

Helen Wilson

How can we assess creatively in science? How does assessment interact with the issue of EAL?

Big questions

“I taught my dog to whistle” “I didn’t know your dog could whistle” “I said I taught him, I didn’t say he learnt it.”

• To make links between Assessment for

Learning & provision for the G&T

• To consider effective and creative methods of

assessment of pupils’ scientific understanding

• To consider further the role of focused

practical - objectives and recording

Learning objectives

In science

What do

we

assess?

How do we

assess?

Why do we

assess?

How does

EAL affect

this?

Why do we assess in science?

To make work for ourselves?

To help pupils

progress?

learning

Assessment for

If we think of our children as plants… summative assessment of the plants is the process of simply measuring them. The measurements might be interesting to compare and analyse, but they do not affect the growth of the plant.

Formative assessment, on the other hand, is the gardening equivalent of feeding and watering the plants – directly affecting their growth.

Shirley Clarke, Unlocking formative assessment

‘You don’t fatten a pig by

weighing it’

Formative assessment – focus on deepening and

furthering the learning, rather than simply

measuring it

Assessment for Learning

Inside the Black Box Black & Wiliam

Creating a learning culture, not ‘getting through’ the

curriculum

Learning Environment

• Active learners

• Formative assessment adjusts learning

• Formative assessment adjusts teaching

• Motivation and self-esteem of pupils

Teaching for challenge

Creativity

Assessment for Learning

Thinking

Basic Elements of AfL

Effective

questioning

Self & peer

evaluation

Effective

feedback

Skinny questions:

Check pupils’ knowledge

Often one word answers

Seeking facts

Science Inside the Black Box

Black & Harrison, nferNelson

Rich questions:

• Open ended

• Needs time to think – can’t

usually answer immediately

• Answers generally require one

or more sentences

• Sometimes pupils need to ask

other questions to work

towards main question

• Tend to prompt further

questions

• Need to make links, apply

ideas, give reasons

Basic Elements of AfL

Effective

questioning

Self & peer

evaluation

Effective

feedback

How has

feedback on your

work affected

your self-

esteem?

What

characterises

good

feedback in

science?

How does a pupil’s

‘EALness’ interact

with this?

Desired goal

Present position

Way to close the gap Feedback includes:

Pause for thought

What is a

learning

objective?

What are the

characteristics of

a good LO in

science?

Is there a

meaningful

difference in how

we think about

objectives for EAL

pupils?

Brainstorm some examples of science LOs

individually:

• Share one each per group

• Compare and contrast

• Which do you think are the most effective and why?

• Limit LOs and focus on them exclusively?

• LOs shared and published when?

Key features of effective learning

• Timing of the sharing – beginning/end?

• Sometimes ask pupils: ‘What were the LOs?’

• What did you learn today?

Sharing Learning Objectives with

Pupils

• Phrase LOs as questions sometimes:

The best way of communicating LOs with

pupils?

To be able

to measure

a force with

a Newton

meter

What do you

think this

does? Let’s

find out

about it.

Example:

Do people with the

strongest legs jump the

furthest?

LO: To be able to make a scientific prediction

Example:

Do people with the

strongest legs jump the

furthest?

Responses from Year 2 pupils

a. Most of the time people jump further when they are stronger

b. Muscles has got nothing to do with how far because muscles

are if you carry heavy things not how far you go

c. I think the people with the lightest legs will jump the highest

because they don’t have to lift as much

d. There is no reason

e. The people with the stronger legs are strong so they can jump

higher

f. I think the strongest legs will push the most and go the

furthest.

g. The people with the strongest legs will jump the furthest

because they have the strongest legs.

Rate these responses, according to the depth of

thinking involved:

Year 2 Patterns in Data &

Evaluations

Lillie had the biggest bit round the thigh but she did not jump the furthest I think its about how high you go because it takes longer to land

Desired goal

Present position

Way to close the gap Feedback includes:

Do not mark spellings in science

Comments – not marks

Avoid large sections of prose on pupils’

work that may not be understood

Dripping with red ink!

Quality feedback

Feedback to any pupil should be about the particular

qualities of his or her work, with advice on what he or she

can do to improve, and should avoid comparisons with

other pupils.

Feedback has shown to improve learning where it gives

each pupil specific guidance on strengths and weaknesses,

preferably without any overall marks.

Inside the black box Black and William (1998)

Implications

for the G&T?

a. Most of the time people jump further when they are stronger

b. Muscles has got nothing to do with how far because muscles

are if you carry heavy things not how far you go

c. I think the people with the lightest legs will jump the highest

because they don’t have to lift as much

d. There is no reason

e. The people with the stronger legs are strong so they can jump

higher

f. I think the strongest legs will push the most and go the

furthest.

g. The people with the strongest legs will jump the furthest

because they have the strongest legs.

What feedback would go some way to closing the gap

for each of these?

Assessment for learning • Assessment for Learning (AfL) focuses on identifying

the next steps in children’s learning and gives feedback to teachers and children.

• It helps teachers to plan the next steps and children to

improve their work.

How do we assess?

• Creatively

• Not just through their literacy skills

– think beyond the language issue

Focus Recording

– on the learning objectives

Infusion: Higher order

thinking

Bright ideas

time

Problem

solving

Investigations Pupils as

researchers

Questions

ICT

Creativity

Coates, D. & Wilson, H. (2003). Challenges in Primary Science. London: Fulton

Tim

e

How to focus your recording

•Concentrate on one particular aspect of an

investigation, e.g.

• prediction

• planning

• results

• conclusion

Focused recording: AZ Teachers

• Understanding that the planning process is a skill

and needs to be taught

• Freeing time in lessons for discussion, thinking time

and practical investigation, e.g. generally, no more

than about 20 mins recording in a 2 hour lesson

• Awareness of prior knowledge in order to focus

planning

• Teaching children how & what to record

What about

OfSTED?

Pupils’ recording

•Pictorial representation

•Description of what happens only

•TA, adult, peer scribing

•Digital camera – photograph

•Class graph/Excel

•Creative communication

Can you think of

ways for your

pupils’ recording

to be less, but

better?

Can you make

your LOs more

focused?

Is it a risk?

What are the important

issues for pupils

learning with EAL?

Assess

the LO!

This is good for primary and good ideas for

secondary:

Naylor, S. & Keogh, B. (2004) Active Assessment,

Millgate House Publishers

www.millgatehouse.co.uk