Skip to main content

AfL: Golden Rules

Assessment for Learning: My Golden Rules

Evaluation and assessment are not the same. My husband worked with a colleague who 'assessed' final exam art-work based on the standard of the class. He was gobsmacked when, during his first 'standardisation' meeting for IGCSE art, she laid out all the pieces across the room. She had decided, subjectively and without consultation of the criteria, that 'Sue' had produced the 'best' work, therefore she got an 'A', whilst 'Peter' was the 'worst', so he got the 'U' grade. She then divided up the grades equally among the remaining learners ranged between 'Sue' and 'Peter'. She seemed horrified when my husband challenged her evaluation and argued against her normative approach. She seemed mystified when he suggested that they should be doing criterion-based grading based on - wait for it - the IGCSE assessment criteria... This was only 3 years ago and even then, I was stunned that anyone actually did this. But this is a true story.
Poster Campaign,
The Octopus's Garden Project

Since then, I have continued to think carefully about the purpose of assessment and how we assess with particular focus on Assessment for Learning (AfL). I recently led a few little workshops on using Google Forms for AfL to share with educators in my school, showing how technology can enhance our AfL practice. Wary that some think I am all about the technology, when in fact I am all about the learning, I have reflected on this and this term's work, most notable, on The Octopus's Garden Project, and have tried to distill my thinking about AfL into a few Golden Rules.

Comment OR grade. NOT both.

The advice of my Principal is to choose one or the other - feedback or grade - but not both. Giving both is counter-intuitive. I try to stick to this - not only because it saves my precious time, but because I do believe that if we give a grade, learners don't read comments, and if we do give comments, there is no need for a grade, because the comments are there to help work towards a formative piece.  

The feedback is part of the journey, the grade is the destination.

Summative before formative.

I believe we should, as Dylan Wiliam asserts, embed formative assessment into our everyday practice. Each conversation or comment, either verbal or written, should be used to allow learners - and teachers - to reflect on the learning going on and plan where to go next. Relying on one single summative assessment at the end of a unit does not allow opportunity for rethinking and revision; it does not allow us to adjust our learning - and teaching - based on the needs arising and issues being identified as the unit progresses.

Learning Conversations
I try carefully to distinguish between the two; formative assessments, with detailed feedback; summative assessments with a mark/grade based on specific criteria, with no feedback. I also try to adhere to having at least two formative assessments for each summative assessment to allow for that reflection, review and revision.

Criteria should be transparent.

All formative and summative assessments should be based on appropriate and specific criteria or rubrics. When a task is set, the criteria or rubric must be available from the start.  In exam-based classes, theses are defined for us. In non-exam classes, we should make the criteria or rubric co-constructed, learner-friendly and appropriate to relevant standards. Formative feedback should be based on this criteria/rubric so learners can identify where there are and where their next steps are.

The Octopus's Garden Project Team
Assessment is a dialogue.

The most productive assessment is dialogue. These learning conversations can be between teacher and learner or learner and learner; they can be verbal, written or virtual. Technology makes this easier than ever - Google Forms, for example allows instant feedback; Edmodo ensures constant dialogue and sharing using appropriate language, and builds a culture of collaboration and support. I have spent a lot of time this year working on developing 'critical friends' in the classroom. Through blogs and commenting, this learning dialogue has become easier and far more ubiquitous; we have focused on how to provide positive feedback that gives helpful advice rather than criticism or negative remarks, so learners are in a position to be able to help each other move forward. Use of the rubrics or criteria to provide this feedback means also that learners are more aware of the requirements of a particular task, allowing them to be more successful in turn. 

Collaboration
When we build learning-focused relationships, learners engage with the task, with us and with each other. Being able to communicate constantly, openly and honestly means we all gain more. Technology just helps this process.

----------------
Here are the links to the outlines for my Google Forms for AfL Workshops 

-----------------
With reference to:

"6 Common Misunderstandings About Assessment Of Learning." TeachThought. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2013.

"Welcome to Dylan Wiliam's Website." Welcome to Dylan Wiliam's Website. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2013.
Labels:

Comments

  1. Anonymous21 March 2013 at 11:36

    Hi Holly - I too think thre is a difference between assessment for and of learning and each is equally important! A researcher from NZ John Hattie (not sure if you will have heard of him) did a lot of research investigating HOW student outcomes can be improved. Not surprisingly the variation that caused the greatest change was the teacher but very high up in his list was feedback. This feedback however has to be 'for learning' - it has to be well thought out feedback that guides the student to their potential.
    We work in different systems so your Principal's guidance towards either comments or grades would not work here as often when a student receives a C or a B...they want to understand what they could have done to achieve an A. Yes, this is even after they have understood the performance standards and have received feedback throughout their learning journey.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

All comments gratefully received - thanks for taking the time to read :)
Anonymous comments and spam will be removed.

Past Thoughts

CONNECTION

We had our kick-off meeting last week on Tuesday 5 February 2013. I was able to connect using Blackboard Collaborate , something I had not used before, but unfortunately had to leave as I was at school. However, with it being Chinese New Year I have had an extended weekend, so was able to catch up and watch the full recorded version. I have also had a cold so have not felt up to tackling the mountain of marking, but have caught up on my reading for the next meeting, namely Chapters 1-3 of the book, ' Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds '; my Tweets about the most interesting salient points for me personally, can be found under @MrsHollyEnglish under #flatclass. Having reached the end of Chapter 3, I have come across my first 3 of the 15 Flat Classroom Challenges. Having taken part in the survey assessing my current connectivity, I feel confident that I am currently in a good position - I already have established a sound PLN that I build on when I can and have added s...
57 comments
Read more

Infographics - good and bad

This week in my MEd, we are exploring the heady world of infographics with the objective of learning how visual representations of data can enhance and distort data. The aim is for us to think carefully about the use of graphics in our teaching in order that we use visuals to effectively deliver information rather than distort it and confuse our learners. After reading three articles by Edward Tufte, I summarised some basic principles to form the basis of my explorations and use them to evaluate the infographics I found. According to Tufte (1983), graphical excellence happens when graphics: show data make viewers think about content not presentation/design avoid  the distortion of data present many numbers in a small space make large data sets coherent encourage the eye to compare different pieces of data reveal data on different levels - from broad to fine have a clear purpose: descriptive/ explorative /decorative/ tabulative be closely correlated with s...
7 comments
Read more

From Alignment to Impact: Why Curriculum, Feedback, and Organisational Design Matter

This reflection draws on established research in curriculum design, instructional leadership, feedback, and school improvement, as well as my ongoing doctoral study in curriculum and learning sciences. It is written from a leadership perspective and informed by sustained engagement with departments, teams, and classrooms throughout this half term. The intention is to make visible the research-informed rationale underpinning current and future priorities for teaching, learning, and collaboration. A Shift in Perspective This half term, my work has taken me away from classrooms and more into meetings. I have spent sustained time with several Heads of Department in strategic planning discussions, in departmental meetings focused on implementation, and in conversations with teachers and parents regarding learning, assessment, and progress. While this is a different vantage point from earlier reflections grounded in classroom observation, it has provided an additional and highly valuable per...
Post a Comment
Read more

Creativity Runs Wild

“There’s probably no better example of the throttling of creativity than the difference between what we observe in a kindergarten classroom and what we observe in a high school classroom.” (Levine) Wherever in the world I have been teaching, one of the most common observations of my classroom by other teachers is that it is "like a primary classroom". This is, more often that not, said in a derogatory and dismissive way, as if the colourful and expressive landscape of learning created through explorations of language and literature is a negative thing. That I cannot possibly be teaching a secondary curriculum if they seem to be creating so much..."mess" (as it has also been called). I have never paid much attention to this; I believe that my IB Diploma English Literature class learnt a great deal about the symbols, motifs, characters, language, themes and setting through the mural we painted all over the classroom. They learnt to problem solve and collaborate...
4 comments
Read more

Take charge of your own learning this year!

Following on from my post about taking up the Ten Tool Challenge , I have just started reading and taking part in a virtual book club for a fabulous book, 'Professional Learning in the Digital Age' by Kristen Swanson . From the start, this is a book that resonates with me on many levels and builds on approaches I was beginning to develop in my own practice. Its exploration of the ways adults learn and how educators can approach professional learning confirms and expands on many of my current beliefs - that we need to collect, consider and evaluate and share. One of my pet hates has always been professional learning that is outdated, repetitive, not relevant and a waste of my very precious time. Swanson states that "for adult learning experiences to be successful, learners should be aware of the intention of the activity. Instruction should be problem-based instead of content-based, and planning should be collaborative. Succinctly, adults must be engaged with the content...
1 comment
Read more
From Brain-Based Learning to Heutagogy: Designing Agency With Care How do we design learning that develops agency without assuming learners are already fully independent? In my research this week, I found myself returning to the same question: how do we design learning that supports agency without assuming that learners are already fully self-directed or self-determined? The readings move from brain-based learning, to the space between pedagogy and andragogy, to the history of andragogy, and finally to heutagogy. Taken together, they challenge the idea that teaching and learning models can be neatly organised by age or stage. Instead, I see that they suggest effective learning design depends on context, readiness, purpose, motivation, and the kind of support learners need to grow. Jang et al. (2022) provide a useful starting point, reminding me that learning design needs to be grounded in how learning actually occurs. Their review of brain-based learning research highlights the import...
Post a Comment
Read more

"A wonderful contribution to the field of global collaborative projects"

I am currently working on the culmination of my Flat Classroom Teacher Certification course, which is a collaborative Global Project Design. I have worked with a colleague from Wisconsin, USA to modify and develop my ' Dare to be Yourself ' unit, designed for my Year 8 and 9 learners this term. Originally written to address the problem of intolerance and lack of kindness, the 'Dare to be Yourself' unit, using the novel Stargirl , has been utilised to become a Global Project that can be delivered across the world and allow learners to connect and observe the similarities that exist in our world, with the hope of building individual, social and global conscience. In preparation, the following feedback has been received from one of the course facilitators:- Stargirl  by Jerry Spinelli from Goodreads "AMAZING!!!! Seriously, this is one of the most thoroughly and thoughtfully planned out projects I have seen. You have chosen a timely and timeless topic tha...
3 comments
Read more

From Consumers to Changemakers: Why Purposeful Digital Learning Matters

Conversations about technology in schools often begin from a place of legitimate concern. Families and educators are right to ask questions about distraction, wellbeing, social media, sleep, attention, and the amount of time young people spend in front of screens. These concerns should not be dismissed. They matter because children’s digital lives are complex, and schools have a responsibility to think carefully about how technology shapes learning, relationships, identity, and wellbeing.  However, one distinction is often blurred: Unmanaged recreational screen use is not the same as intentionally designed digital learning. Passive scrolling is not the same as collaborative inquiry. Social media consumption is not the same as learners using digital tools to research, create, communicate, receive feedback, organise ideas, or participate in meaningful communities. When all screen-based experiences are treated as the same, schools risk making decisions based on anxiety rather than on ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Belonging Is Designed

Belonging is not granted after learners prove they can access the curriculum. Belonging is created through the way curriculum, instruction, assessment, relationships, and evidence-informed responses are designed. That idea has been sitting with me deeply. In schools, we often talk about belonging as something relational, cultural, or pastoral. Whilst it is, of course, all of those things, I also think belonging is a curriculum and learning design issue. Learners experience belonging, or exclusion, through the tasks they are given, the examples they see, the feedback they receive, the ways they are invited to participate, and the assumptions adults make about what they can do. Inclusion, then, cannot sit only in intervention structures or individual support plans. These matter, of course; some learners need targeted and specialist support, and schools need strong systems to provide it. But if inclusion begins only after a learner struggles, we have already accepted a design problem as a...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Impossible Knife of Memory: Review

The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson It might be safe to say that I inhaled this book and its incredibly crafted story, breathing out the smoke of words I digested and chewed over, coating my classroom in metaphors both grotesque and moving. This novel was the first of the Book a Month Challenge myself and my PLN established on Twitter, and I enjoyed this novel both as a reader and as a teacher. My learners noticed my reading it around the corridors; parents stopped me in the car park to ask what I was reading and to make sure I didn't walk into anything. An intriguing and moving novel about an intense father-daughter relationship of trauma and heartache, Amazon describes it as "Laurie Halse Anderson at her finest: compelling, surprising, and impossible to put down" - I guess I cannot disagree. I have taken and used many passages to teach figurative language as the writing demonstrates metaphor and personification in a complex yet access...
Post a Comment
Read more