Assessment in Inquiry

Slide 1: ASSESSING INQUIRY

Slide 2: Inquiry Learning  Inquiry learning is difficult to do well.  Inquiry learning, done well, will require changes to classroom practice, school structures and procedures, school resources, and classroom programmes.

Slide 3: Seven BIG Learning Messages  Intelligence is not fixed  Effort is as important as ability  Learning is strongly influenced by emotion  We all learn in different ways  Deep learning is an active process  Learning is messy  We learn from the company we keep

Slide 4: Successful Inquiry  Involve students in initial planning  Sharing learning goals  Negotiating success criteria  Planning questions which further learning  Using strategies which maximise student thinking and articulation

Slide 5: Not all students learn in the same way A learning style has three main aspects  How you perceive information  How you process information  How you organise and present information

Slide 7: Balance between opportunity and capacity

Slide 8: What do we think is important for our students to learn? What do we need to teach?

Slide 9: What is important for our students to learn?  Information literacy skills  reasoning  critical thinking  the ability to justify or refute our existing knowledge  problem solving  communication skills

Slide 10: Research Skills  Questioning skills  Taking notes  Selecting skills  Making notes or drafting  Key words (Identifying and  Using thinking skills using)  Citing references  Searching the Internet  Sorting and organising  Using contents page and  Interpreting and analysising index  Synthesising and applying  Skimming and scanning and reading for detail Presenting Skills Learning to Learn Skills  Use of ICT  Goal setting  Use of software  Organisation and time  Layout and design management  Vocabulary studies  Tracking and asking for assistance  Listening  Self and peer reflection  Speaking  Critiquing  Public speaking  Discussion

Slide 11: 21st Century Skills Digital Age Literacy: Inventive Thinking: • Basic, Scientific and Technological• Adaptability and Managing Literacy Complexity • Visual and Information Literacy • Curiosity, Creativity and Risk Taking • Cultural Literacy and Global Awareness • Higher Order Thinking and Sound Reasoning Effective Communication: High Productivity: Teaming, Collaboration and Prioritising, Planning and Managing Interpersonal Skills Results Personal and Social Effective Use of Real World Tools Responsibility High Quality, Meaningful Results Interactive Communication

Slide 12: What is assessment?

Slide 13: What is assessment?  An ongoing process aimed at understanding and improving student learning  Evidence that students know, can do and understand It’s more than just collecting data

Slide 14: Assessment Focus on how we come to know, as opposed to what we know Focus on the development of information-processing and problem- solving skills

Slide 15: Authentic assessment Assessing the students’ ability to use what they’ve learning in tasks similar to those in the outside world.

Slide 16: What can be assessed?  Student learning characteristics -Ability differences -Learning styles  Student motivational characteristics -Interest -Effort -Goal orientation  Learning -Content knowledge -Ability to apply content knowledge -Skills -Dispositions and attitudes -Performances

Slide 17: Why do we need to assess?

Slide 18: Importance of Assessment  To find out what the students know (knowledge)  To find out what the students can do, and how well they can do it (skill; performance)  To find out how students go about the task of doing their work (process)  To find out how students feel about their work (motivation, effort)

Slide 19: Ways we can assess  True –False Item  Inventories  Multiple Choice  Checklist  Completion  Peer Rating  Short Answer  Self Rating  Essay  Journal  Practical Exam  Portfolio  Papers/Reports  Observations  Projects  Discussions  Questionnaires  Interviews

Slide 20: Self Assessment  Data Gathering  Understanding  Reflection/Analysis  Creativity

Slide 21: Self Assessment Evidence of Data Gathering Have I gathered enough information? Do I have sufficient evidence of research? Have I described/defined the problems that are at the core of my inquiry?

Slide 22: Self Assessment Evidence of Understanding Do I understand the information/material I am researching? Have I used my own words to summarise my research?

Slide 23: Self Assessment Evidence of Reflection/Analysis Does my work show that I have used the information to form my own ideas? Have I addressed the issues at the core of my inquiry? Have I drawn conclusions?

Slide 24: Self Assessment Evidence of Creativity Have I created anything that shows my own views and opinions of my inquiry? Have I taken any action to do something about my findings?

Slide 25: Assessment Conversations “When kids are given choices in what they read and what they write, and time to think about what they are doing, their writing and reading get better. When we trust them to set goals and to evaluate their learning in progress, we will begin to realize that they know much more than we allow them to tell us through our set curriculums, our standardized tests, our writing samples.” Linda Reif

Slide 26: ‘In times of change the learners will inherit the earth, while the knowers will find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.’ Eric Hoffer

Slide 27: Working in your team - Looking at your inquiry plan for next year: • Decide on exactly what it is that you are going to assess • Decide the best way that the skill, understanding, knowledge, application, attitude, performance, etc. can be assessed. • List the criteria you will assess against. • Design an authentic task to assess that skill, understanding, knowledge, application, attitude, performance, etc.