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1. 1 breiannan kennedy
The Black Box model – core or supportive pedagogy?
A review of Black, Harrison, Lee, Marshall and Wiliams’s 2004 paper,
Working Inside the Black Box.
In introducing the CCEA (2009) guide to Assessment for Learning (AfL),
Gardner discusses Black and Wiliam’s contribution to focussing the
educational community on the benefits of AfL, explaining a need to unify
disparate research on the perceived benefits of formative assessment, to
counter the trend of excessive external testing in the UK. The Assessment
Reform Group (ARG) commissioned literature review (Black and Wiliam
1998a) and ensuing article, Inside the Black Box (Black and Wiliam, 1998b),
confirmed that extensive research supported the notion that formative
assessment leads to improvement in standards (Black, Harrison, Lee,
Marshall and Wiliam, 2004, p9). Additionally, evidence confirmed that there
was room to improve practice in the areas of: student assessment modes;
grading that promoted competition rather than improvement; and the
potentially damaging influence on learning by feedback. These articles
promoted AfL to the top of the UK educational reform agenda.
Despite the positive response to the 1998 publications, Black et al. (2004)
subsequently felt compelled to provide evidence-based examples of the
practical implementation of AfL. Reasons for this may relate to two issues.
Firstly, as Hargreaves (2005) suggests, there were inconsistent
understandings amongst practitioners of what AfL actually is, or should be.
For example, many teachers who thought they were working in an AfL
framework were primarily stuck in a measurement paradigm. Secondly, as
Wiliam, Lee, Harrison and Black (2004) identify, the adoption of formative
assessment strategies is countered by mandated high stakes summative
testing. Turner (2006, p.56) describes how this “backwash” or “test effect”
phenomenon is a threat to authentic adoption of AfL in the classroom. In both
cases, it’s the professional development of teachers that is crucial. Black et
al. (2004) do suggest this, along with the need for support from the school,
but fail to develop the argument, despite the AfL agenda being so strong at a
system level at the time.
The KMOFAP Project

2. 2 breiannan kennedy
Notwithstanding the summative assessment threat, Black et al. (2004)
continue to promote the virtue of AfL as a powerful tool. The KMOFAP project
(Wiliam et al 2004), (although small in data sample, limited in the variety of
educational context, and arguably not representative) provided data to
support the notion that properly implemented AfL does enhance learning.
Using control comparison classes, compared to classes where the AfL
strategies were implemented and supported, Black et al. (2004) asserted that
there was consistent evidence to report an average improvement in output
gains in the order of 0.3 standard deviations. A positive outcome, granted; but
one which merits appraisal considering the issues around reliability that are
posed by the limited scope of the project.
Four Groups
Successful AFL strategies employed in the KMOFAP Project were organised
into four groups: “questioning”; “feedback through grading”; “peer and self-
assessment”; and the “formative use of summative assessments”.
Recommended strategies for each of these areas are outlined in Figure one.
The central theme running through is the importance of feedback. Perrenoud
(1998) criticised Black for oversimplifying the role of formative assessment as
being primarily related to the quality of feedback, and its use to further the
learning and understanding of the student. He suggests that Black should
consider “communication theory” and the effect that feedback plays at “the
level of the recipient”, squarely placing the emphasis on learning theory and
the learner. The implication is, that if the delivery of AfL is primarily about
feedback, whether it is high quality or not, personalised or general, its efficacy
will be diluted if it is: not delivered in optimum conditions involving timing,
mood, mode and method; embedded in an intimate understanding of how
students learn; or adapted to the idiosyncrasies of the individual. Perrenoud
(1993) describes AfL as a contributory strategy, employed as part of
individualised instruction. He infers that taking too narrow a focus on AfL, and
not spending more time exploring its (relatively minor) role in a broader
cognitive model, is an opportunity missed by Black to get to the heart of the
matter. Young, an advocate of AfL agrees, encouraging teachers to engage
more fully with the “underpinning principles” of AfL. (Young, 2005, p.5)

3. 3 breiannan kennedy
Reference List
Black, P., Harrison, C., Lee, C., Marshall, B., & Wiliam, D. (2004). Working
Inside the Black Box: Assessment for Learning in the Classroom. The Phi
Delta Kappan, 86(1), 8-21.
Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998a). Assessment and classroom learning.
Assessment in Education, 5(1), 7-74.
Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998b). Inside the Black Box Raising Standards
Through Classroom Assessment. The Phi Delta Kappan, 80(2), 139-148.
Council for the Curriculum Examinations and Assessment (2009) AfL
Assessment for Learning : A Practical Guide. Belfast : CCEA
Education Scotland (2011) Research summary - assessment for learning.
Retrieved 19 March 2012 from
http://www.journeytoexcellence.org.uk/resourcesandcpd/research/summaries/
rsassessment.asp
Garrison, D. R. (1997). Self-directed learning: Toward a comprehensive
model. Adult Education Quarterly, 48(1), 18-33.
doi:10.1177/074171369704800103
Perrenoud, P. (1993). Pour une approche pragmatique de l'évaluation
formative. Mesure et évaluation en éducation, 16(1-2), 107-132. Retrieved 28
March 2012 from
http://www.unige.ch/fapse/SSE/teachers/perrenoud/php_main/php_livres/php
_evaluation.html
Perrenoud, P. (1998). From Formative Evaluation to a Controlled Regulation
of Learning Processes. Towards a wider conceptual field, Assessment in
Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 5:1, 85-102
doi:10.1080/0969595980050105
Smith, K. (2005) Mind the Gap. 2005 Curriculum Corporation Conference.
Retrieved 20 March 2012 from
http://cmslive.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/Smith_edited.pdf
Turner, C. E. (2006). Professionalism and high-stakes tests: Teachers’
perspectives when dealing with educational change introduced through
provincial exams. TESL Canada Journal, 23(2), 54-76.

4. 4 breiannan kennedy
Wiliam, D., Lee, C., Harrison, C., & Black, P. (2004). Teachers developing
assessment for learning: Impact on student achievement. Assessment in
Education, 11(1), 49-65. doi:10.1080/0969594042000208994
Young, E. (2005). Assessment for Learning: Embedding and Extending.
Assessment is for Learning. Retrieved 21 March 2012 from
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/Images/
Assessment%20for%20Learning%20version%202vp_tcm4-385008.pdf
Budget
food drink Travel
Monday 10 5 7
Tuesday 16 7 7
Wednesday 34 7 8
Thursday 0 0 0
Friday 12 10 0
Total 72 36 22