Assessment for Learning

Evaluation

» 'Evaluation' is placing a value on something - determining whether it is good or bad, whether it is of high or low quality.

» We evaluate both students' learning and our own teaching.

» 'Evaluation' is placing a value on something - determining whether it is good or bad, whether it is of high or low quality.

» We evaluate both students' learning and our own teaching.

Assessment

» 'Assessment' is measurement of something. Assessment is what provides the evidence that we use to evaluate.

» 'Assessment' is measurement of something. Assessment is what provides the evidence that we use to evaluate.

Purposes of Assessment

» School assessment has a number of purposes. Some of these are socially important but peripheral to real learning, like ranking students to decide who does and does not get a place at university

» Increasingly assessment is also used to judge teacher performance

» School assessment has a number of purposes. Some of these are socially important but peripheral to real learning, like ranking students to decide who does and does not get a place at university

» Increasingly assessment is also used to judge teacher performance

Assessment for Learning

» Other purposes of assessment are central to learning

» We want to focus on the use of assessment to promote learning

» Other purposes of assessment are central to learning

» We want to focus on the use of assessment to promote learning

Summative and Formative

» 'formative' assessment - on-going and is used to both make judgements about students' progress and about the teaching, so that the teaching can be adapted to improve learning.

» 'summative' assessment - at the end of a unit or course - 'sums up' what the student has learned.

» Both kinds of assessment are important.

» 'formative' assessment - on-going and is used to both make judgements about students' progress and about the teaching, so that the teaching can be adapted to improve learning.

» 'summative' assessment - at the end of a unit or course - 'sums up' what the student has learned.

» Both kinds of assessment are important.

Repertoire

» Like pedagogy, assessment is a matter of expanding your professional repertoire

» It's not about choosing one, or three, assessment strategies and using them all the time, it's about having a wide variety of possible forms of evidence about the ways in which students are learning

» Like pedagogy, assessment is a matter of expanding your professional repertoire

» It's not about choosing one, or three, assessment strategies and using them all the time, it's about having a wide variety of possible forms of evidence about the ways in which students are learning

Assessment and Metacognition

» Ideally, completing assessment tasks or being assessed in other ways (e.g. through teacher observations or conversations) is in itself a learning experience for students rather than something separate

» Ideally, completing assessment tasks or being assessed in other ways (e.g. through teacher observations or conversations) is in itself a learning experience for students rather than something separate

Assessment in Science Education

» Assessment of scientific knowledge» Assessment of thinking skills and

habits of mind» Assessment of practical and

process skills» Assessment of beliefs and

attitudes?

» Assessment of scientific knowledge» Assessment of thinking skills and

habits of mind» Assessment of practical and

process skills» Assessment of beliefs and

attitudes?

Performance Assessment

» Observation of a student completing a task

» Can include 'think-aloud' protocols» Can include video or photographic

evidence

» Observation of a student completing a task

» Can include 'think-aloud' protocols» Can include video or photographic

evidence

Self and Peer Assessment

» Students can generate evidence about their own and others' learning

» Learning to make judgements about learning is: Metacognitive Higher order thinking (evaluation)

» Students can generate evidence about their own and others' learning

» Learning to make judgements about learning is: Metacognitive Higher order thinking (evaluation)