Unit 03:
Classroom Assessment:
Concepts and Context
Subtopics….
○ Revisit Assessment practices in schools in Pakistan
○ Personal experience with tests in school
○ Assessment of learning and assessment for learning
○ Review of research on the positive effects of continuous assessment
○ Possible causes of those effects: motivation; feelings toward self; improved
instruction
○ Curriculum: goals, objectives, standards, targets
○ Pakistan National Curriculum (2006-2007): standards, benchmarks, learning
outcomes
○ Formative and summative Assessments
○ Distinguishing between the two through real examples
○ Shift from a culture of testing in schools to a culture of assessment
○ Assessment practices and policies in elementary schools in Pakistan
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?
? ?
Personal
experience
? ?
with tests
in school
? ?
?
3
Assessment practices in
schools in Pakistan
Field Visit
4
Purpose of assessment
5
Assessment of Learning
◎The purpose of this kind of assessment is usually
SUMMATIVE and is mostly done at the end of a task,
unit of work etc.
◎“It is designed to provide evidence of
achievement to parents, other educators, the
students themselves and sometimes to outside groups
(e.g., employers, other educational institutions).”
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Assessment of Learning (Cont.)
◎“Assessment of Learning is the assessment that
becomes public and results in statements or symbols
about how well students are learning. It often
contributes to pivotal decisions that will affect
students’ futures. It is important, then, that the
underlying logic and measurement of assessment of
learning be credible and defensible.”
◎
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Assessment for Learning
The emphasis shifts from summative to
FORMATIVE assessment in Assessment for
Learning.
Assessment for Learning happens during the
learning, often more than once, rather than at
the end.
Students understand exactly what they are to
learn, what is expected of them and are given
feedback and advice on how to improve their
work.
Assessment for Learning
“In Assessment for Learning, teachers use assessment
as an investigable tool to find out as much as they can
about what their students know and can do, and what
confusions, preconceptions, or gaps they might have.
The wide variety of information that teachers collect
about students’ learning processes provides the basis
for determining what they need to do next to move
student learning forward. It provides the basis for
providing descriptive feedback for students and
deciding on groupings, instructional strategies, and
resources.”
Rethinking Classroom Assessment with Purpose in Mind” Page 29
Assessment as Learning
◎Through this process students are able to learn about
themselves as learners and become aware of how they learn
– become metacognitive (knowledge of one’s own thought
processes).
◎Students reflect on their work on a regular basis, usually
through self and peer assessment and decide (often with the
help of the teacher, particularly in the early stages) what
their next learning will be.
◎Assessment as learning helps students to take more
responsibility for their own learning and monitoring future
directions.
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Assessment as Learning
Monitoring Metacognition
• What is•the purpose of learning these concepts and skills?
• What do I know about this topic?
• •
What strategies do I know that will help me learn this?
• •
Am I understanding these concepts?
• What are the criteria for improving my work? Have I accomplished
•
the goals I set for myself?
•
•
(Adapted from Schraw, “Promoting General Metacognitive Awareness)
Rethinking Classroom Assessment with Purpose in Mind” Page 42
Positive effects of continuous
assessment
◎ Enhances student motivation and engagement.
◎ Improves self-esteem and feelings toward learning.
◎ Leads to better instruction and personalized
teaching.
What are the other possible benefits of
continuous assessments???
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