Dtlls_Cert_Ed_Enabling_Learning_and_Assessment

DTLLS: Enabling Learning and Assessment – Task 1 (ALO 1 - demonstrate understanding and analyse a range of theories, principles and applications of formal and informal assessment and their roles in learning and evaluation. ALO 2 - discuss the significance of equality and diversity issues for the assessment of learning) Produce an essay in which you analyse a range of theories, principles and applications relating to the use of formal and informal assessment and their roles in learning and evaluation. You should also discuss the significance of equality and diversity issues for the assessment of learning. Assessment, in all its forms is a tool for gaining a better understanding of what a learner has managed to retain. It should also, performed properly be an accurate measure of what learners have understood, though for a number of reasons, this is not always the case. It is an ongoing process of measuring progress toward established learning outcomes, and providing a basis for feedback to improve learners understanding of how to improve on their work. It is a systematic and cyclic process that makes expectations and standards explicit and public. The first stage in any well managed program of education is initial and diagnostic assessment; essential in order to ascertain the key strengths, and more importantly weaknesses in a learner’s knowledge profile and, as is practice at XXX, in order to create an Individual Learner Plan. This plan consists of the setting of realistically achievable goals in the timescale available, and action points in order to ensure that these goals are met. With the typical profile of learners at XXX these goals will usually be to gain a greater level of competency in both numeracy and literacy. A personal and social development goal is also included, with their attitudes to work and peers being assessed as well as their numeracy and literacy levels. Throughout a learners engagement in program a continuing process of formative assessment, assessment for learning, takes place. We can divide this type of assessment into two distinct categories; formal and informal formative assessment. From a socio-cultural view of learning, learning should involve both thought and action in context. James et al. (2006) incorporate the works of Vygotsky into their view on assessment. They argue that teachers need to create an environment in which people can be motivated to think and act in tasks beyond their zone of proximal development. In doing this, tasks become collaborative as pupils need to be involved in both the generation of problems and solutions (which entries one and two support through methods of dialogic talk and directed reading activities). James et al argue that this environment is the foreground before proceeding with assessment; that assessment is carried out alongside learning, not as an ‘after learning’ event. Black and Wiliam explore fully the implications of effective formative assessment in the classroom. They describe this environment as the black box; a closed environment (for the most part unobserved) into which external inputs such as increased pressure for progression statistics, parental expectations etc. are expected to translate into better outputs, manifested as better pupil performance in external examinations etc. The most difficult part though, is left to teachers. What goes on inside the black box is the major indicator of output. They go on; ‘We start from the self-evident proposition that teaching and learning have to be interactive. Teachers need to know about their pupils’ progress and difficulties with learning so that they can adapt their work to meet their needs—needs which are often unpredictable and which vary from one pupil to another. Teachers can find out what they need in a variety of ways — from observation and discussion in the classroom, and from written work of pupils whether done as homework or in class.’ This theory underpins the practice at XXX and formative assessment continually takes place, and for the most part, possibly contrary to what is thought of as best practice, learners are not informed of this assessment process. This is because the type of learners that we cater for are for the most part entirely disaffected with their experience of learning, and particularly assessment. Fear of failure is a massive attitudinal and phenomological barrier to assessment. It has been my experience in teaching that learners will perform better when assessment is informal. If done well, exactly the same implications are evident. Teaching can be modified to cover knowledge gaps, and due to the size of XXX we are lucky enough and very able to respond to learners identified as being in greater need of support. Addition of wait time, in which no answers will be accepted, in the classroom has dramatically increased the incidences of correct answers, and asking learners to come up with a solution in smaller groups has proven remarkably successful in removing much of the fear of giving incorrect answers in my practice. A major part of assessment is the feedback process – how can learners be expected to improve if they are not aware of their shortcomings' Research has proven that verbal feedback is the most effective, and more effective the closer to the event. Dealing with ‘fragile’ learners, verbal feedback is by far the most effective – when speaking with a learner face to face, it is possible to ensure that your comments are understood as they are meant to be (it is very easy to sound overtly critical in written feedback). Oral feedback is implicit in all lessons, it is adaptable and context specific and most importantly, personalised. Feedback should focus on task-related comments, indicating to individual students what they need to improve and how to improve it. Ideally, students learn how to ask for help and deal with helpful advice so that a wrong answer is seen as an opportunity to learn. In doing this, pupils can then assess themselves to identify their own strengths and weaknesses so that attainable targets can be set and achieved. There are occasions of course when assessment must be formalised. To remove as much stigma as possible from these occasions, we ensure that learners are familiar with the format of assessment and are not presented for assessment until deemed ready and able (and willing). This practice, for better or worse, almost eliminates the opportunity for learners to revisit their work. This has the practical benefit that, should learners leave the program early, we are almost guaranteed to be able to demonstrate completion of some kind of qualification. Though of course, where written feedback is appropriate, it includes where the learner has and has not met objectives and ways to think through the answer themselves – the best possible way to improve learning. Summative assessment is, for the most part, a much more formal experience and the assessment methods and situation in which it is conducted will reflect this. It is vital that learners are aware they are being assessed for the final time, and are allowed enough time to prepare. Assessment may otherwise be deemed unreliable. Equality and diversity in relation to assessment raises a number of significant questions. In what situation will help that is given to try and nullify barriers to assessment be considered too great – when will it produce an unreliable assessment' The principles of inclusion seek to ensure that learners, regardless of (almost) any physical or metaphysical barriers to assessment, are able to perform at their best, and are provided with the support that will make this possible. Obviously there has to be a line drawn at some point to make sure that assessments are reliable – including for those learners receiving less support. Barriers to learning created by relatively minor difficulties can be removed by relatively minor tailoring of learning and assessment programmes. Inclusion and personalised learning have possible implications on the validity of assessment, as well as being the very basis of education. It is vital that students are individually catered for and learning needs are met but this means that assessment must take this into account and must also be personalised and structured. Reliability of assessment relates to the ability of the assessment to produce consistent results with the same (or similar) group of learners. The assessment methods in use at XXX have proven to produce very consistent results with very similar groups of learners over the last four years. Therefore, these assessment methods can be seen as reliable. Validity relates to the ability of an assessment to measure what it is intended to measure. Because our assessments are written in line with the assessment criteria as a matter of course they can also be seen as valid. This is not to say however that quality issues do not arise. It is very easy to narrow the scope of assessment too much, so that achievement of learning objectives leaves little or no room for learning to take place. When dealing with difficult learners, however, it has proven essential to remove all unnecessary workload. Assessments are also conducted using a minimum of two methods, written assessment, Q&A, observation and photographic evidence etc. When using more than one of these methods per assessment criteria, the most suitable method of assessment may not be the greatest indicator of achievement. Self assessment is not used at XXX. If dishonest, a self assessment has no merit at all. The learners at XXX have generally not acquired the self discipline of honest self evaluation. Again, due to the nature of XXX learners, Peer assessment is not used, asking a learner for an opinion regarding the academic performance of another invites personal comments. However, self and peer assessment in classrooms is a vital of learning, so learners develop an awareness of what skills are needed to improve. It is this explicit understanding of ‘what have I done wrong, and therefore, what will I need to do better next time’ that is the basis of development in learners without difficulties or special educational needs. Professor John Hattie’s research indicates that feedback is one of the greatest contributing factors to the achievement of learners. This is true regardless of learner profile. It is important to remember that assessment is a cyclic process; ‘Even the best evaluations are approximate, correct for only a limited situation and time. The teacher must be aware of these limitations and should repeat, vary and adjust assessments, aware that they are constantly running behind the real events of learning.’ Ontario Ministry of Education, Student Achievement 2009 The best practitioners will ensure that their program of assessment is reviewed for each set of learners and that appropriate adjustments are made. -------------------------------------------- [ 1 ]. James, M., Black, P., Carmichael, P., Conner, C., Dudley, P., Fox, A., Frost, D., Honour, L., MacBeath, J., McCormick, R., Marshall, B., Pedder, D., Procter, R., Swaffield, S and Wiliam, D. (2006) Learning How to Learn: tools for schools, London: Routledge.