Learning and assessing (in and)out of the classroomJohn MacBeath and Sue Swaffield

AAIA National Conference15 September 2010

Newcastle

Learning and assessing (in and) out of the classroom

How can we use what we know How can we use what we know about learning and assessment about learning and assessment

to support learningto support learning(in and) (in and)

outside the classroom?outside the classroom?

• Things we know about learningThings we know about learning• Key points about assessmentKey points about assessment• Applying what we know to learning Applying what we know to learning

outside the classroomoutside the classroom• Thinking about assessment issuesThinking about assessment issues• Implications for us individually and Implications for us individually and as an organisationas an organisation

Input Discussion Notemaking - Plenary Groups

What’s the difference What’s the difference between learning between learning

in and out in and out of the classroom?of the classroom?

Connect Extend ChallengeA Visible Thinking Routine from David Perkins

ConnectConnect How does this How does this connectconnect with with what I already know?what I already know?

ExtendExtend How does this How does this extendextend my my thinking?thinking?

ChallengeChallenge What What challenges challenges my thinking? my thinking? What is still challenging?What is still challenging?

What do I want to challenge?What do I want to challenge?

Children: the new commodities

We no longer look at children as children with We no longer look at children as children with all their quirks, idiosyncrasies, and all the all their quirks, idiosyncrasies, and all the things that make them unique human beings. things that make them unique human beings. We see them as grade enhancers and grade We see them as grade enhancers and grade detractors. Will they add value or lower our detractors. Will they add value or lower our scores?scores?

(David Berliner, AERA, 2006)(David Berliner, AERA, 2006)

A world of learning

A paradox: Education is A paradox: Education is par par excellenceexcellence about long term about long term development of people and society development of people and society but dominated by short-term but dominated by short-term thinking and decision-makingthinking and decision-making

(OECD, 2008)(OECD, 2008)

7 things we know about learning

1.1. Cognitive conflict (Piaget)Cognitive conflict (Piaget)

2.2. Leverage (Dewey) and Bandwidth Leverage (Dewey) and Bandwidth

(Qvortrup)(Qvortrup)

3.3. Mediated by emotional centres (Damasio)Mediated by emotional centres (Damasio)

4.4. Attention to the learning moment (Perkins)Attention to the learning moment (Perkins)

5.5. Learning by teaching (Bruner)Learning by teaching (Bruner)

6.6. A social activity (Vygotsky)A social activity (Vygotsky)

7.7. Context is critical (Gardner)Context is critical (Gardner)

7 things we know about learning

1.1. Cognitive conflict (Piaget)Cognitive conflict (Piaget)

2.2. Leverage (Dewey) and Bandwidth Leverage (Dewey) and Bandwidth

(Qvortrup)(Qvortrup)

3.3. Mediated by emotional centres (Damasio)Mediated by emotional centres (Damasio)

4.4. Attention to the learning moment (Perkins)Attention to the learning moment (Perkins)

5.5. Learning by teaching (Bruner)Learning by teaching (Bruner)

6.6. A social activity (Vygotsky)A social activity (Vygotsky)

7.7. Context is critical (Gardner)Context is critical (Gardner)

feedback

Broad and narrow bandings

A broad bandwidth allows a high volume of A broad bandwidth allows a high volume of intellectual and emotional traffic to flow from intellectual and emotional traffic to flow from person to person person to person

A narrow band requires careful tuning to find A narrow band requires careful tuning to find the right wavelength so as to meet the the right wavelength so as to meet the expectations, readiness and engagement of expectations, readiness and engagement of the recipient the recipient

Leverage

Without insight into the psychological Without insight into the psychological structure and activities of the individual, the structure and activities of the individual, the educative process will, therefore, be educative process will, therefore, be haphazard and arbitrary. If it chances to haphazard and arbitrary. If it chances to coincide with the child’s activity it will get a coincide with the child’s activity it will get a leverage; if it does not, it will result in friction, leverage; if it does not, it will result in friction, or disintegration, or arrest of the child nature. or disintegration, or arrest of the child nature. (Dewey, 1897, My Pedagogic Creed, The (Dewey, 1897, My Pedagogic Creed, The School Journal, Volume LIV, Number 3). School Journal, Volume LIV, Number 3).

The KFD principle

Knowing

Feeling

Doing

Feeling

Doing

FLOW

APATHYBOREDOM

ANXIETY

The learning moment

The “learning moment” is that precise instant The “learning moment” is that precise instant when an educational opportunity naturally when an educational opportunity naturally presents itself in an interesting manner and in presents itself in an interesting manner and in context, so that knowledge can be built upon context, so that knowledge can be built upon and expanded through conversation or more and expanded through conversation or more discovery.discovery.

Recognizing the Learning Moment: Making the Most of Natural Learning Opportunities http://www.suite101.com/content/recognizing-the-learning-moment-a39285#ixzz0yjwdbbP0

Catching the learning moment

It’s the spontaneity that’s gone. I mean if it It’s the spontaneity that’s gone. I mean if it had snowed we used to run to the window had snowed we used to run to the window and we’d stop and do some creative poetry. and we’d stop and do some creative poetry. That’s gone now because everything is very That’s gone now because everything is very much structured now, very planned and that’s much structured now, very planned and that’s a shame.a shame.(in Galton and MacBeath, (in Galton and MacBeath, Teachers under Teachers under Pressure, 2008)Pressure, 2008)

Learning by teaching

“I teach my teddy what I’m learning in class. He is now the smartest teddy in the street.”

And she is now the smartest girl in the class

Learning is a social activity

Conceptual growth comes from the Conceptual growth comes from the negotiation of meaning, the sharing of negotiation of meaning, the sharing of multiple perspectives and the changing multiple perspectives and the changing of our internal representations through of our internal representations through collaborative learning collaborative learning (David Merrill, 1991)(David Merrill, 1991)

tasks/problems

contexts/situationsfamiliar

unfamiliar

familiar problems infamiliarcontexts

novel problems infamiliarcontexts

unfamiliar problems inunfamiliarcontexts

familiar problems innovelcontexts

Making thinking visible

Is thinking visible here? Is thinking visible here? Are pupils explaining things to one another?Are pupils explaining things to one another? Are they offering creative ideas? Are they offering creative ideas? Are they using the language of thinking? Are they using the language of thinking? Am I?Am I? Are students debating interpretations?Are students debating interpretations? How is assessment enhancing thinking/feeling?How is assessment enhancing thinking/feeling? Is this an environment conducive to learning?Is this an environment conducive to learning?

7 key points about assessment

1.1. Assessment serving and supporting Assessment serving and supporting

learninglearning

2.2. Fitness for purposeFitness for purpose

3.3. Assessing prior and current learningAssessing prior and current learning

4.4. Approaches to Assessment for LearningApproaches to Assessment for Learning

5.5. Roles and RelationshipsRoles and Relationships

6.6. ValidityValidity

7.7. Principles and pointers for authentic AfLPrinciples and pointers for authentic AfL

PupilTeacher

Parents

Other pupils

School leaders

Organisations

Who? When?

1. Assessment serving and supporting learning

PupilTeacher

Parents

Other pupils

School leaders

Organisations

Now Soon Later Never

Who? When?

1. Assessment serving and supporting learning

PupilTeacher

Parents

Other pupils

School leaders

Organisations

Now Soon Later Never

Who? When?

1. Assessment serving and supporting learning

Here be dragons

Asses

smen

t for

Lear

ning

Assessment of Learning

Assessment as Learning

Different purposesDifferent methods

Some harmoniousSome incompatible

2. Fitness for purpose

Assessment for / as / of Learning

Learning as process or product?

Learning what and learning how

3. Assessing prior and current learning

Starting from where you areCapitalising on previous learning

Keeping on trackValuing the unexpected

“Within your extended grasp”(Ruth Sutton) “Is this New York?”

(Dylan Wiliam)

Ascertain what the learner already knows and teach accordingly (Ausubel, 1968)

No, it’s Boston“Hurrah!”(John MacBeath)

The waste of not knowing what your students know(Sue Swaffield!)

4. Approaches to Assessment for Learning

Assessment for Learning

• QuestioningQuestioning• Explicit learning intentions and notions Explicit learning intentions and notions

of qualityof quality• Feedback, and opportunities to act on Feedback, and opportunities to act on

feedbackfeedback• Self-regulationSelf-regulation• Dialogue, including peer-assessmentDialogue, including peer-assessment

5. Roles and Relationships

Agency – Responsibility - Culture

Assessment – Assidere – To sit beside

Who can do the learning?

Pupils seeing teachers as learners

6. Validity

Applying a crucial yet contested idea to a complex and nebulous process

Does a test measure what itpurports to measure?

ValidityValidity

ContentCriterion (predictive & concurrent)Construct

A property of inferences, not of a test

Consequential validity

Are conclusions warranted?

What should we understand by the notion of validity?

How does validity relate to

Assessment for Learning?

Assessment Assessment for Learningfor Learning

7. Principles and pointers for authentic AfL

Authentic Assessment for Learning

3 imperatives• Making learning explicitMaking learning explicit• Promoting learning autonomyPromoting learning autonomy• Focusing on learning Focusing on learning (LHTL + Swaffield)

Effects on learner identity, self-image, approach to learning, learning? (Swaffield)

10 principles1.Part of planning2.Focus on how students learn3.Central to classroom practice4.Key professional skill5.Sensitive and constructive6.Importance of learner motivation7.Sharing goals and criteria8.Guidance on how to improve9.Develops capacity for self-assessment10.Recognises all achievement (ARG, 2002)

Assessment for Learning is the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to get there (ARG, 2002)

7 key points about assessment

1.1. Assessment serving and supporting Assessment serving and supporting

learninglearning

2.2. Fitness for purposeFitness for purpose

3.3. Assessing prior and current learningAssessing prior and current learning

4.4. Approaches to Assessment for LearningApproaches to Assessment for Learning

5.5. Roles and RelationshipsRoles and Relationships

6.6. ValidityValidity

7.7. Principles and pointers for authentic AfLPrinciples and pointers for authentic AfL

Use ‘Connect Extend Challenge’to relate the points about learning and assessment

to your own contexts,especially situations

outside the classroom

NO, YOU WEREN’T DOWNLOADED YOU WERE BORN

Making the connections

1515 8585

I learned something in school today.I signed up for folk guitar, computer

programming, stained glass art, shoemaking and a natural foods workshop.

I got spelling, history, arithmetic and two study periods.

What did you learn?I learned that what you sign up for and what you

get are two different things.

Charles Schulz: Peanuts, quoted in School is Dead, Everett Reimer

School and not school• Individual cognition in school versus shared cognition outside-- The

successfulness of most learning and performance in school is judged on an individual basis rather than a group basis. The latter being more often the case in the real world.

• Pure mentation in school versus tool manipulation outside-- When it comes to the use of tools, "In school, the greatest premium is placed upon 'pure thought' - what individuals can do without the external support of books and notes, calculators, or other complex instruments -in contrast to accomplishment of activities outside of school where we have and use many tools or artifacts to accomplish a particular task.

• Symbol manipulation in school versus contextualized reasoning outside The use and manipulation of symbols as representations of real objects contrast with using objects themselves, as ways of solving problems in a meaningful way

• Generalized learning in school versus situation-specific competencies outside--"To be truly skillful outside of school, people must develop situation-specific forms of competence. In school, learning is more generalized, creating a situation whereby "very little can be transported directly from school to out-of-school use

Captivity The Wild

Home learning

School

Homework clubs

Study Support

Children’s University

Extra-curricular activities

Peer group activity

Web surfing

Learning in……..

Perm 20 from 42: Stoke-on-Trent

• Drop-in Art Activities, across the city

• Robotics Course for Families, across the city

• Scrapbooking for Families, across the city

• Grow Your Own Grub, across the city

• Fun with Books, across the city

• Flair for Fashion, across the city

• Bust the Bin (Reduce, Re-use, Recycle!)

• Fun with Numbers, across the city

• Wild about nature workshops, across the city

• Play and Rhyme Time for Families, across the city

• Flair for Fashion, across the city

Comedy Drama Workshops, Regent Theatre & Victoria Hall Look Good, Feel Fine, across the city Policing for Success, Longton Police Station, LongtonArts and Crafts Workshop for the Whole Family, across the city Shadow Puppet Workshops, Regent Theatre & Victoria HallFinance for Families Workshops, across the city Closing the Gap Sports Activities, across the cityICT for Families Course, across the city Digital Activities Classes and Workshops, across the cityHealthy Lifestyles for Families Workshops, across the city

Nobody ever failed a museum

In a school, the student must be carefully modelled, in terms of prerequisite knowledge and abilities, and carefully evaluated, in order to ensure the coherent and standardised acquisition of knowledge. In a museum, the visitor is defined by the act of visiting – there are no pre-visit qualifications and no post-visit tests. Our visitors are unknown, and, perhaps more importantly, unknowable. In the formal system, the student is responsible for learning. In the informal system, the institution is responsible for creating learning opportunities. A student can fail a school – but only the museum can fail its visitors.(James Bradburn, Director General of the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi in Florence)

What’s in a game?

Giving dynamic ongoing feedback Offering motivating learning experiences Using meaningful profiles and reports Trusting in the ability of the player/learner Nurturing growth mindsets Maximising potential for collaboration Encouraging peer assessment Presenting purposeful and relevant learning intentions Ensuring that assessment is not done to learners Giving players/learners the best chance of success