Unit 3 Assessment (Draft)
This assessment is a response to Unit 3 DTLLS assessment enabling learning and assessment for the Level 5 teaching qualification, this assessment is raw and uncorrected (draft)
As a multimedia tutor I must ensure that I use valid, fair methods of assessment, that promotes development for students focusing on their academic, personal goals and also help them develop functional skills (numeracy, literacy and ICT) which, according to Lord Sandy Leitch help them compete in the job market. I have to ensure the transfer of knowledge is smoothly performed using different Assessment technologies and methods. With teaching becoming a more complex task, it becomes practically impossible to get the desired targets of attainment by the end of an academic year. Targets are over-ambitious; students are pressured and must achieve both “instructional” and “personal” learning goals within a limited amount of time. Pressured teachers must effectively manage key, functional, and vocational skills. This rational will look at different learning theories from an assessment perspective, looking at my different roles; helping me become a wiser assessor.
For my first assessment (formative group assessment: numeracy), I have looked at the Social (J. Rotter’s), and Situational (Lave & Wenger) theories of assessing; which have the potential to help learners develop interpersonal skills, and aptitudes to operate within social environments by interacting; “Learning is in relationship between people and environment” (Smith, 1999). On a positive outlook, learners are defining their understanding of the social interaction in different contexts and situations ‘as the first tick in the box’ (Knight & Yorke, 2003). Looking at this perspective in assessing; there is a strong opportunity for students to develop management skills; management of self, other, information and tasks underpinning development for preparation to employment. Portfolios based assessment method fit the social and situational agendas and must be planned effectively; “Within the learning process, the learner must have access to or develop strategies to store and organise partial learning… breaking of the learner’s dependency on the method or environment of learning and signals that the learner is capable of flexible, autonomous and independent transfer of his/her acquired competence” (Dawn C., RMIT).
With the above theory I enjoy producing formative assessments which encourage interacting and learning from each other while being assess they are collaboratively learning from each other reinforcing knowledge and progressing. Particularly for subjects such as maths I found that having students not only solve problems but learn different ways to solve problems. This formula, has a holistic approach, and is partly borrowed from the “Waldorf Education” (Steiner) philosophy of education; while I informally assessing their knowledge and skills, the students are experiencing development, balance of what they like and don’t like (heart) about different representation of problem, and practical skills (they are practically testing their abilities).
The behaviourists are more interested in a competency based performance, looking at how the information is retained, and expect the student to behave in a controlled environment. There is a strong element of competition when assessing using the behaviourist methods of assessment, if they are not carefully planned.
The Cognitivist Orientation is also known as information-processing; “Learning involves the reorganisation of experiences in order to make sense of stimuli from the environment” (Merriam & Cafella, 1991:128.). It makes sense to devise learning goals that will prompt to think about a question, task, or problem and reorganise the information in a way that makes sense to them. The problem-solving assessment methods can be adapted; “Social interactions are still present in individual problem solving” (Preiss D., Sternberg R., 2010:245).
The fact is that, like adults, in coping with today society’s pressures and demands, children are paying a heavy emotional toll too. Equality within assessment methods; I try to ensure that my assignments do not show any signs of gender, disability, or age and religion reference, these confirming to college quality standard framework, avoiding any direct involvement with hurting any student feeling or believes.
The most important aspect of the assessment process in raising achievement is the provision of feedback (Black and Wiliam, 1998; Gibbs and Simpson, 2004-5). Entwistle et al. (1989). Feedback has to be fair, content centred, free from any discrimination and must encourage the thinking process in a constructive manner.
Equality within assessment methods; I try to ensure that my assignments do not show any signs of gender, disability, or age and religion reference, these confirming to college quality standard framework, avoiding any direct involvement with hurting any student feeling or believes.
In conclusion; “the more deeply one understands the teaching process, the more one may be able to improve it” (Preiss D., Sternberg R., 2010:241). The four theories observed are complementing each other as learning must be measured, spaced repeated allowing learners to make different types of associations with the mastering of the skills and knowledge (learning goals). With so many societal and emotional issues influencing directly a student’s potential for learning, we can no longer guarantee our success in educating children relying only on academic expertise.
Enabling Learning and Assessment Further reflections and writing
There are different purposes for assessment, as well as different types and methods of assessment, this assignment will discuss the assessment methods I use in the classroom (formative and summative), and tools helping students achieve personal and learning goals. This assignment will discuss the different reasons why a teacher should conduct assessment and also the evidence that are use for soft units such as key skills. It is also important to stress at this time that assignment is not the sole decision of the teacher, there are also other parties involved in the decision making; together with curriculum leaders, team leaders a teacher must give accounts to the qualifying body who is accrediting a set of qualifications to the most important stakeholder, the students. This assignment will firstly discuss the fundamentals of assessment, an also discuss my professional judgement, personal experience and the communication channels used for assessment processes used in the work place.
1. Theories and principles and applications of formal and informal assessments and their roles.
One aspect of curriculum development that can improve and influences students’ lives is planning for assessment. A teacher has to set targets based on both organisational administration of their organisation (for me Newham College), and also based on the wider framework (national, Regional) working with qualifying organisations which are regulating assessments quality, targets and standardisation. Assessments may probably be completed for statistical purposes calculating standard levels, using different testing methods, and ensuring that students have achieved the minimum or maximum required to pass, or they could also be criterion-referenced based assessments that evaluate what students can do, the later has many forms and can be done using different marking methods (crosschecking with references to assessment criteria, checklist or observation)
This why a teacher must have good grasp of the different issues related to assessment; opportunities, standards, quality etc…
How teachers assess the students is a matter of timely and efficient planning. A teacher must plan over two periods;
1.1. Long term planning:
This process of planning assessment is concerned with the objective of the set qualification, thinking of modular or non modular assessment methods, as well as preparing assignments tasks, project briefs, or tests.
1.2. Short term plans
(Or planning a term) are more concerned about the organisation of methodical approach for assessing students with a formative objective.
The planning of the assessment includes matching the learning objectives using different learning theories and approaches that constructively engender learning and achievement. Assessment could be;
- Learner-centred (constructivist): assignment tasks are set in a way that engage learners, exposing them to challenging activities where they can explore new ideas, apply knowledge and new skills, as well as evaluate their personal progress. the teacher takes the role of the facilitator, assisting individual students with their own personal development, setting targets that might be higher that the learning objective or setting step by step learning and task for students who might have difficulty achieving.
- Teacher-centred (behavioural) is perceptively using levelling methods, encouraging students to behave in certain ways.
- The cognitive approach to assessment is objectively challenging the students’ abilities to remember, apply concepts, generate ideas, or interpret information.
The above approaches to assessment must allow quality of the learning and development of the student using both;
1.3. Formal assessment methods:
Formal measurement methods commonly involve the use of methods as above, which effectively assess students’ learning. The most common form of assessments are: test, performance based, project base, and portfolio based.
1.4. Informal assessment methods:
Informal assessment are usually set during learning “as learning”, and enforce understanding of learning activities. The informal assessments in my class come in a form of homework, Questions and Answers, games, online interactions where students are challenges to evidence learning using different communication methods.
Once the teacher has dutifully made a reflected choice according to standards and criteria working closely with administrator and managers, as well as qualifying organisations, it becomes apparent that a choice as to made with the selection of:
1.5. Summative
The summative assessment is usually helping evaluating the students’ cognitive and motor skills at the end of a learning period; with the outcome the teacher generates grades and feedback which are used for statistical objectives by the organisation’s managing team.
1.6. Or Formative assessment
The formative assessments are truly helping the teachers set the stage for learning; as they help enhancing cognitive and motor skills, and also ensure that students learning objectives and outcomes are being met, if not met, the teacher can improve learning material and resources, teaching approaches, to help students progress towards summative goals.
In my own case the formative assessments are differentiated in order to accord progress at all levels with a group.
At this stage they might sound similar, but the difference between summative assessment and formative assessment is that the formative is only concerned about achievement “as learning” or “for learning”, whereas the summative assessment regards the students’ achievements as counting towards qualifying frameworks standards.
1.7. The different assessment a teacher can use
Assessment happens at different levels within a student course of study and they have to go through a few;
- Performance assessment
Performance assessments usually engage students, individually or in small in group solving a problem, critically researching an issue, or observe laws (for multimedia).
- Standardised
Also called authentic assessment the standardised assessment is concerned with simply the testing and isolation of skills, cognitive abilities; it put the students in a challenging position where they have to make judgements, select from a variety of choice.
- Diagnostic Assessments:
This form of assessment is relatively straight forward and has the goal to help the educational organisation providing students with a fair method of assessment, this assessment is usually done at the first phase of the student course of study and is concerned with student’s knowledge and skills, aptitudes, literacy, language, disability and personal issues, this is called the Initial Assessment.
“Consider diagnostic assessments before anything else. Clearly it would not be advisable for this kind of assessment to count towards the final qualification, but it can give students a god idea how about their existing knowledge and experience place them, and those areas on which they may need to pay particular attention. It can also help us fine tune the content of our teaching; there is no point spending a lot of time covering things that most student can already achieve.” (P. Race, S. Brown, B. Smith, “500 tips on assessment”, 2005, p10).
In my own personal experience diagnostic assessments are a key to the teachers ability to respond to students needs, and plan effective learning activities (including assessments) which match learners Individual profile (the learner style, prior cognitive experience, and skills) increased teacher response to each student’s cognitive and emotional profile
- Self-evaluation
This help the student evaluate progress, skills gained, and progress towards the course final outcome.
1.8. Accountabilities and roles
The teacher has an enormous amount of accountability with regards to assignment:
- Departmental (internal accountability);
She/he be must be able to illustrate to managers and board of executives (who are in charge of demographic records and analysis of data), that students are effectively monitored and meaningful and formal assessments are in place prior to the academic start of the year. It is also important to be able to demonstrate progress and achievement using amounts of tracking forms/documents. The tracking or both progress and achievement must be concise and clear and demonstrate periodical progress (monthly, quarterly yearly).
- External Accountability
The above internal monitoring allows the curriculum leaders to demonstrate to quality framework/standards that the organisation is equally observing the many performance indicators, organisational and educational guidelines. The essentially crucial role of the teacher is not apparently active in this denominator, as they actively participate in meetings and workshops when required,
- Learners accountability
The learner must be able to achieve and this can only be if the assessment targets are appropriate, and that information is clear and achievable.
To demonstrate the quality of the learning and achievement to both the Internal and External Verifiers, I also use the informative assessment material to add to the students’ learner book as it can add value to both internal and external verification process;
- It demonstrates to the EV the work performed in class and progressive activities leading to the students’ mastering of skills, knowledge and understanding.
- For example although the level 2 students might have to design a magazine cover for the summative assignments, but as formative assignments they also produce different types of digital artwork such as cd covers, book cover, adverts and business cards, attaching the formative assignments to the learners book demonstrate the level of mastery of digital imaging the students have gained.
- 2. Aligning assignment with the learning outcome
It is very important to understand that as a teacher; one must ensure that all assignment methods and tasks are matching the outcomes specified by the qualifying and accreditation organisation (NOCN for my case). When planning assessment I have to both have in hand the class unit diagnostic test results and also the NOCN unit specifications. Once all this information is at hand I can change my original assignment method and amend or tune to match the whole class level. For example, it is more likely that most students on the level 2 would have use PowerPoint to a basic level already as they have been using it on level 1; the only issue would be to observe students coming from another department or just admitted on the level 2 without prior experience in multimedia.
With my role of teaching I have to sit IV panels prior to hand the assignment to the student. The IV panel is usually made of a tutor that his a specialist in my field, the curriculum team leader and the hola. The panel judges my professional decisions interpretations of the qualifying body standards for the level I am teaching. They scrutinise and check if the presentation of the assignment; if valuable information is easily available for students’ reference, the dates, unit title, credit value, objectives and criteria. They then verify the assignment methods; for confusion, and level and also ambiguity. They also ensure that targets set are at the right level and fairness. Once they have agreed my assignment I make changes, and distribute the assignment to the students. Although the assessment of my work seems under the comb, the panel is also a opportunity for me discuss issues with unit criteria, I often discuss ways of having different levels of students within a group and that it would not be fair to hand in the simple assignment book to level 2 literacy students who need to be challenge, and that other criteria could be set to help exploration and expansion of skills, this could be achieve with the ILP (individual learner plan).
The good experience I had so for with my method of assessing creating the learners’ books (see attached), the whole department has to follow the same procedure has it helps the students achieve and all the criteria can be met with one document, the students can demonstrate the skills gained (drawing, planning, artefacts) by just handing designs with the learner book. This method that I have set makes it easy;
- For students to understand what they have to achieve
- For Internal Verification to check the accuracy of the work, and the professionalism
- For external verifiers to access all information with one document and verify standards of learning and achievement at the same time
- For me to work in orderly manner with all information in one place
3. The aims and reasons why I need to assess in the classroom
In my practice I make us of both formal and informal assessments,
With my work they are three assessments that I have to help the progress of my students;
Assessment for learning
“When the intent is to enhance student learning, teachers use assessment for learning to uncover what students believe to be true and to learn more about the connections students are making, their prior knowledge, preconceptions, gaps, and learning styles.” (Dr. L. Earl Dr. S. Katz, 2006, p30)
I conduct a few assessments for learning that help understanding the students acquired knowledge and skills; this helps me amend my original assessment and set targets which match the whole group ability (where all learners can work towards achieving the right type of cognitive and motor skills).
- One the test that I conduct in the classroom is the literacy, sometimes it takes for college own standard test results to get to me, mainly at the beginning of the academic year. It is necessary for me to know the average level of literacy in the class. I ask the students to get online and follow instruction online (http://rwp.excellencegateway.org.uk/readwriteplus/Learning), with the results I arrange teaching resources that are appropriate for all learners. With multimedia it important that students have a level of literacy where they describe, plan and research.
- Depending on the unit I give the students specific tasks or question & answer form that they fill in, and with the result I also amend learning and assessment resources.
- The assessment is only complete with the student Individual Learning Plan so specific targets can be set according to a student specific needs.
Assessment as learning
I use different methods to assess the students while learning, but the one the students are most attracted to is informal and has a more relaxed approach; the students are more willing to participate, with friendly set of games online (using www.teach-ict.com), students are acquainting themselves with examination setting, using games; this gives them firstly the opportunity the different uses for multimedia, as well as testing their knowledge.
I can say that my “as learning methods” encompass to objectives;
- Awareness of the use of multimedia: letting the students observe how multimedia can be used for educational purposes.
- Assessing informally to test acquired knowledge and skills and adjust to the final summative assessment when requi
- Figure 1 assessment as learning I use for assessing the students ICT knowledge
Assessment of learning
“Despite one of the assumptions commonly made in the literature, assessment is not obtained only on, or even necessarily mainly, through tests and examinations. Finding about a student’s abilities and so on may not involve testing him or measuring his performance in any formal way.” (D.Rowntree “Assessing students; How should we know them?”, 1987, p4)
Based on the above quote by D. Rowntree, I must stress that within my own role I must offer flexible assessment methods, which offers opportunities for all learners to achieve. Within a class, I have different learners with different literacy and numeracy levels ranging from E3 to L2, and a standardised method of assessment would not be fairly accessible by all my learners. The performance based method is authentic and reliable as it helps evaluate my students the ability to perform and apply their knowledge and the same time extend their knowledge by providing extra evidence that demonstrate skills acquired during the learning period. The performance is timed, and students have a mix of tasks to perform;
- Observation: where I observe the student doing repetitive tasks and performing practical activities.
- Systematic Collection of Evidence; one of the best way of the getting students to achieve is by collecting evidence in many forms. As the NOCN units I teach do not require students to pass a test neither an exam, small aptitude test are set only for skills check or reference.
With the assessment of learning my pedagogic role facilitate personal development, where student are effectively engaged in demonstrating learning. I also encourage learners to recognise and reflect on the assignment, it is a form empowerment because students can evaluate, their progress, learning, and also they choice to discuss what they liked and did not like about a certain unit.
4. Equality and Diversity Issues with assessing groups of learners
Equality is not only to be observed in the how to assess, but we also need to differentiate methods according to student abilities;
- My learner book model allows statement to fill in by me explaining student’s demonstration/discussion of abilities with me. I then sign and student signs the student signs too. This is not often used;
– So far I have used this method with
- Fraaz and Rijaul; two deaf students, which were both on the level 1 and level 2,course I have working with them for the last two years. Although Fraaz has a good level of literacy I allowed this method with him in times of confusion with meeting a specific criteria, we found the medium of having a discussion (support by interpreter), to demonstrate his ability to perform, explain or demonstrate his ability to use software.
- 5. Giving effective and positive feedback helping with the student progress, confidence and achievement
A summative assessment is not effective without motivation, and feedback is the crucial element of feedback that can affect the student decision for further studies and employment decisions. Feedback should aim at enabling students to improve or acknowledge their efforts. Within my own personal experience I am giving feedback from different perspectives;
-behaviourist; I try to encourage students to behave and adopt positive or negative points with the assignment, and encourage them to take positive
– Cognitive; I check and evaluate the students’ knowledge on facts and particular areas of learning is correct and direct them in taking appropriate corrective behaviour if needed.
– Social and Situational: My feedback also give students advice on a work related perspective encouraging them to undertake further study or behaviour that engender positive action towards achieving professional skills. Students make a choice of considering the advice or not.
-Constructivist; I check the knowledge was acquired during the learning and give positive feedback that would engender students taking appropriate information and using it for the future.
-Collaborative: I also, when students are achievement assessment goals in group, encourage students to behave in way that promote positive team skills; they do get the opportunity to get hints on the feedback from their own peers added to my feedback and discuss feedback together.
Self-evaluation; students also get the opportunity to discuss the quality to their work bases upon the unit outcome and the work they have produce for a term of study; I am giving the student the opportunity to reflect on the areas they have performed well as well as areas they might not have performed so well and give a solution to given problems. I use the students’ reflective evaluation to produce a feedback that is inclusive of their comments.
It also important to note at this point that some elements of the formative assessments are kept to help building the knowledge base and evidence practical experience, so both internal and external verifiers have good grasps of class activities and effective learning.
- 6. What are the minimum cores in my own practices
There is an apparent literacy requirement within the NOCN unit, and also with the college assessment feedback.
The NOCN criteria demands that students explain describe and list performance or cognitive skills, by explaining or writing. The core issue with literacy; students widely disliked it, and for some it is even a problem. I am often faced with the challenge of demonstrating the relevance with the subject; where designers are often at the forefront, planning designs and explaining designs to customers. To overcome this issue we have ground rules in the classroom, before starting any project, students should present a form of project using either by note taking, sketching, and presenting (using PowerPoint). For students with issues that require more than routine exercise into getting the habit of writing, I also work closely with students learning advisers to help students overcome the literacy issues, and together we work plans for support in the class or extra lessons for students with need of English support.
With the college assessment form I am required to assess students’ use of English, vocabulary, punctuation, and spelling (see sample feedback sheet attached).
Numeracy requirements are not necessary for all units only the one that require student to understand digital imaging formats. But when necessary the students are getting special numeracy tutorials for digital imaging.
The issue with teaching multimedia is the gap between older learners and the younger learners who are usually the “integrity generation” in the philosophy of multimedia, also called the “digital natives”; they come on the course with skills demonstrate that they have the ability to collaborate, create and reflect.
With teaching within my own practice is that I encounter the big “generation lap”, with managers who are older and have no clue of technology “the digital immigrants”, and make decisions in ordering equipment which is not appropriate. The Managers and executive boards are still trying to uncover the mist of multimedia and offering inadequate technology which is
My Strength
Engaging students with core skills particularly achieving literacy
I use evident and effective methods of feedback engaging students in sharing their experience and thinking of the cognitive skills and practical skills gained with both informal and informal assignment;
- With the assignment the students can use reflective diary and end of term reflection to discuss learning and reflect on learning activities. (see attached evidence)
Ability to promote diversity and ease of access in terms of assignment methods allowing all students to achieve
My assignments are openly conforming to equal opportunity, meaning that students are able to achieve even if they have disability, because options are offered to them;
- A student who is death can use sign language and I write the translated comment in the learner’s book and get both student and communicator to sign in the comments.
- A student whose first language is not English can have the opportunity to work with a support worker helping developing English communication skills.
- A student who is not attending for one reason or another can easily access online learning environment and download learner book and work with resources.
With assessment for Learning
I usually use different methods to find the learners’ learning styles, knowledge and aptitudes to help the planning of effect assessment methods and assignment brief.
Assessment as learning
- Students are given small projects or tests helping building evidence and also building confidence in gaining specific skills or knowledge.
- My methods of assessing is progressive students are given
Books
- Greenstein L., (2010), ‘What Teachers REALLY need to know about Formative Assessment’, ASCD
- Preiss D., Sternberg R., (2010), ‘Innovations in Educational Psychology Perspectives on Learning, Teaching, and Human Development’, Springer Publishing Company
- Black, P. and Wiliam, D. (1998) Assessment and classroom learning,
Assessment in Education, 5 (1):7-74.
- Earl, L.M. (2003) Assessment as Learning. Thousand Oaks, California:
Corwin Press.
- Falchikov, N. (2005) Improving assessment through student involvement.
London: Routledge Falmer
- Bowmann S., (2005), ‘The Ten-Minute Trainer 150 Ways to Teach It Quick and Make it Stick’, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
- Naglieri J. A., Goldstein S., (2009), ‘Practitioner’s Guide to Assessing Intelligence and Achievement’, John Wiley & Sons, Inc
- Knight P. T., Yorke M., (2003), ‘Assessment, Learning and Employability’, Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press
- Harmin M., Toth M., (2006), 2nd edition, ‘Inspiring Active Learning A Complete Handbook for Today’s Teacher’, ASCD
- Anderson, L.W., and Krathwohl, D.R. (2001) A taxonomy of learning, teaching
and assessing: a revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives, New
York: Longman.
- Anderson, L.W. (2003) Classroom Assessment : Enhancing the Quality of
Teacher Decision Making. E-Book: Mahwah, N.J. Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates, Inc.
- Gibbs, G. (1995) Assessing student centred courses. Oxford: OCSD.
- Angelo, T.A. and Cross, K.P. (1993) Classroom Assessment Techniques. 2nd edn. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
- P. Race, S. Brown, B. Smith, “500 tips on assessment”, 2005, Routledege Falmer, OXON
- D.Rowntree “Assessing students; How should we know them?”, 1987, Harper and Row, LONDON
- Dr. L. Earl, Dr. S.Katz “Rethinking Classroom Assessment with Purpose in Mind”, 2006, Minister of Education, Citizenship and Youth, MINATOBA
Journals, essays and publications
- Dawn C., “Learning for transfer – a theory of situational learning”, RMIT University
Websites visited
- http://www.anngravells.co.uk/
- http://www.infed.org/
- http://www.learningandteaching.info/
- http://www.scribd.com/doc/62100626/Inspiring-Active-Learning-2nd-Edition Accessed the book Inspiring Active Learning a Complete Handbook for today’s teacher
- Accessed “Learning for transfer – a theory of situational learning”
Further reading on this site