Assessment for Learning What is AfL and what strategies can be used? Susan Kambalu, St Thomas More Catholic School, 7 May 2008

What is assessment? Black and Wiliam’s seminal work, “Inside the Black Box” (1998, p. 2), states that: the term ‘assessment’ refers to all those activities undertaken by teachers, and by their students in assessing themselves , which provide information to be used as feedback to modify the teaching and learning activities in which they are engaged. Such assessment becomes ‘formative assessment’ when the evidence is actually used to adapt the teaching work to meet the needs . (Emphasis author’s own.)

Black and Wiliam’s seminal work, “Inside the Black Box” (1998, p. 2), states that:

the term ‘assessment’ refers to all those activities undertaken by teachers, and by their students in assessing themselves , which provide information to be used as feedback to modify the teaching and learning activities in which they are engaged. Such assessment becomes ‘formative assessment’ when the evidence is actually used to adapt the teaching work to meet the needs . (Emphasis author’s own.)

Assessment … should not determine what is to be taught and learned. should be the servant, not the master, of the curriculum. must not be a bolt-on addition at the end. should be an integral part of the educational process. should be incorporated into teaching strategies and practices at all levels. should be designed with its purposes in mind. Wadman and Coddington, 1991, p. 84

should not determine what is to be taught and learned.

should be the servant, not the master, of the curriculum.

must not be a bolt-on addition at the end.

should be an integral part of the educational process.

should be incorporated into teaching strategies and practices at all levels.

should be designed with its purposes in mind.

Wadman and Coddington, 1991, p. 84

Some strategies Feedback: spoken and written Formative marking Comment-only marking 2 stars and a wish Share success criteria Peer assessment Self assessment Questioning

Feedback: spoken and written

Formative marking

Comment-only marking

2 stars and a wish

Share success criteria

Peer assessment

Self assessment

Questioning

Comment-only marking Butler (1988), quoted in Black et al. (2003, p. 43) researched the effectiveness of marking – out of the three options of giving marks only , comments only , or both a mark and a comment , students’ work improved in the case of those given comment-only marking . One of the reasons why this type of marking is most effective, as put forward by Black et al. (2003, p. 50) is that these comments help provide “the training that students needed to judge their own learning and to begin to take action to improve”.

Peer Assessment “ Many of the teachers found that students were much tougher on each other than they, the teachers, would dare to be. Feedback from peers is less emotionally ‘loaded’ than feedback from those in authority and is more easily accepted as well.” Black et al., 2003, p.77

“ Many of the teachers found that students were much tougher on each other than they, the teachers, would dare to be. Feedback from peers is less emotionally ‘loaded’ than feedback from those in authority and is more easily accepted as well.”

Black et al., 2003, p.77

Using blogs to support AfL … http://www.nodehillre.typepad.com/ http://stmarysbb.edublogs.org/ http://thegothic.edublogs.org/ http://asfl.edublogs.org/ http://www.ncetm.org.uk/Default.aspx?page=17&module=blog&mode=100&blogid=322 http://worldmusic.learnerblogs.org/ http://stmre8.edublogs.org/2007/06/06/8f-task-two/

http://www.nodehillre.typepad.com/

http://stmarysbb.edublogs.org/

http://thegothic.edublogs.org/

http://asfl.edublogs.org/

http://www.ncetm.org.uk/Default.aspx?page=17&module=blog&mode=100&blogid=322

http://worldmusic.learnerblogs.org/

http://stmre8.edublogs.org/2007/06/06/8f-task-two/

Bibliography Black, P. 1998, Testing: Friend or Foe? Theory and Practice of Assessment and Testing , Falmer Press, London. Black, P. J., Harrison, C., Lee, C., Marshall, B. & Wiliam, D. 2003, Assessment for Learning: Putting it into practice , Open University Press, Maidenhead. Butler, R. 1988, ‘Enhancing and undermining intrinsic motivation: The effects of task-involving and ego-involving evaluation on interest and performance’, British Journal of Educational Psychology , 58, pp. 1-14. Wadman, D., & Coddington, V. 1991, Forms of assessment in religious education: the main report of the FARE Project , FARE Project.

Black, P. 1998, Testing: Friend or Foe? Theory and Practice of Assessment and Testing , Falmer Press, London.

Black, P. J., Harrison, C., Lee, C., Marshall, B. & Wiliam, D. 2003, Assessment for Learning: Putting it into practice , Open University Press, Maidenhead.

Butler, R. 1988, ‘Enhancing and undermining intrinsic motivation: The effects of task-involving and ego-involving evaluation on interest and performance’, British Journal of Educational Psychology , 58, pp. 1-14.

Wadman, D., & Coddington, V. 1991, Forms of assessment in religious education: the main report of the FARE Project , FARE Project.

Links http:// www.ltscotland.org.uk/assess/aiflschool/index.asp

http:// www.ltscotland.org.uk/assess/aiflschool/index.asp