Ptlls_Task_7

“In the right hands, assessment can inspire, motivate and provide feedback (essential for targeting prompt corrective help”. Petty, G Teaching Today Assessment is the process of obtaining information about how much the learner knows. It is an integral part to every stage of teaching, from an isolated element of a lesson, to the broader focus of modules and even entire course units and schemes of work. Without assessing what the students have learnt from the lesson offered cannot constitute as teaching. Therefore, it is essential for tutors to practice sound methods of assessments to establish whether learners are meeting targets and reaching goals. There are 4 types of assessment. Firstly, INITIAL ASSESSMENT provides information on the learner’s level of attainment. This assessment determines what they already know and is often administered as a preliminary check to place learners on an appropriate programme of learning. Secondly, DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT is an in depth assessment related to strengths and weaknesses in each skill area, which identifies priorities and needs. It is used to help determine what learners can already do, as well as the goals of the syllabus, scheme of work and Individual Learner Profiles. Thirdly, FORMATIVE/ ON-GOING ASSESSMENT monitors, measures and reviews learner’s progress against defined objectives and targets, and refines the results of initial and diagnostic assessment. Lastly, SUMMATIVE / FINAL ASSESSMENT measures learners’ achievement and attainment against defined objectives and targets. This can take the form of an exam and may be assessed through a portfolio of work. During the initial assessment stage, it is common for learners to undergo some form of review or be subject to an assessment under exam conditions. Acting as a relatively sophisticated tool to ascertain the broader picture of the learners’ abilities, this can be deemed as a welcomed advantage of implementing initial assessments. Self assessment is a clever way of encouraging students to retrace their steps of a particular task and reabsorb them into learning by marking their own work. A handout with the correct answers can sometimes provide students with a useful aid to self-marking. A similar alternative (and occasionally partner) to self assessment is peer checking. For students, the knowledge that others in the classroom could be checking their work can sometimes help to encourage a learner to try harder. Evidently, this can support the notion that controlled peer competitiveness can indeed be a healthy element of the learning process. One of the best methods of assessment in my opinion is monitoring. This is by far the most important process which tutors should incorporate into all lessons. Monitoring can take many forms. For example, the tutor could monitor students through Question & Answer tasks to determine what has been learnt. Alternatively, tutors could also monitor through observation allowing them to make a mental note of students’ progress / problems and then enabling them to address issues before closing the session for all learners to benefit from the advice / tips. Consequently, feedback periods incorporated into the lesson can provide sound assessment for students too. By using this method, tutors can observe the extent which learners were successfully engaged in a task simply from the level of enthusiasm produced following the execution of that task. If successful, feedback can help to generate confidence through the teacher –learner cycle, allowing a smooth transition of activities.