What is Assessment For Learning?

Assessment for learning is the process by which teachers use assessment as an investigative tool to determine what the learner knows, and provide constructive feedback that will further the students learning (Drake, Reid, & Kolohon, p. 16, 2014).

When a teacher plans an assessment for learning, they need to think about what information the assessment is designed to expose. They must also decide which assessment approaches are most likely to give detailed information about what each student is thinking and learning. It is equally important to give students a variety of ways to demonstrate their learning; since everyone learns differently and is able to express him or herself better using a style they are most comfortable with.

Earl & Katz (2006) break down assessment for learning into 5 key steps:

1. Align instruction with the targeted outcomes.
2. Identify particular learning needs of students or groups.
3. Select and adapt materials and resources.
4. Create differentiated teaching strategies and learning opportunities to help individual students move forward in their learning.
5. Provide immediate feedback and direction to students.

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Assessment for learning is something that cannot just happen once a year, once a month, or even once a week. It must be a continuous process throughout the learning. The student’s role in assessment for learning environments is to reflect on the work they have done, to interpret the feedback provided by the teacher in order to improve, to strive and understand how to reach their full potential, and to use each assessment to determine how to do better the next time. Although assessment for learning is student based, the teacher plays a vital role in the process. As teachers, they are the leaders of the process. They are the communicators and experts of the curriculum that must be mastered by the students and they are responsible to transform the classroom targets into high-quality classroom assessments capable of accurately reflecting student achievement, and use those assessments over time in collaboration with their students to help motivate them to keep learning (Earl & Katz (2006).

In addition to acting as a leader in the process of assessment for learning, the teacher plays an extremely influential role through the use of their feedback. The most important aspect of assessment for learning is to provide positive, descriptive, and constructive feedback. It is the crucial link between "the teacher's assessment of a student's learning and the action following that assessment" (Earl & Katz, 2006). Feedback needs to come immediately after assessment and has to provide guidance as to how students can improve. Students need to be given time to act on the feedback given, rather than being a passive recipient of the teacher's judgements. It should be a collaborative effort in which teacher and student review and reflect on the assessment.

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A personal experience I can share with you regarding the process of assessment for learning was the time when my grade 9 high school English teacher, made everyone in the class prepare a rough draft for the first essay of the year. When I received back the rough draft I was immediately discouraged. All I could see was red ink on every page. However, after reading the comments on the pages, I realized that although my thesis was good, my supporting arguments needed to be stronger and in specific, supported by direct quotes from the primary source. This feedback was instrumental in teaching me how to write an essay and it provided me with constructive ways on how to improve my essay writing ability. This feedback also helped me achieve a higher grade in the assignment, improve my confidence about writing, and it helped me reach my full potential as a student. If my English teacher did not have us do a rough draft first, I would have done poorly on the assignment and I would have received by low grade because I did not know the correct techniques of essay writing. The opportunity to reflect and improve upon the constructive feedback from the teacher gave me a chance to understand and fix my mistakes, improve my writing, and succeed. This positive learning experience gave me more confidence for any future writing assignment.

The personal story that I have just shared with you demonstrates that what is most important is the individual’s progress towards the learning goal. This interaction between teacher and student is an important element of developing understanding and promoting learning.  Assessment for learning is rooted in the idea and confidence that every student can improve. Poor feedback can lead to students believing that they lack ability and are not able to learn. Students will only invest effort into tasks if they believe they can achieve something. I believe that the expectation in every teacher’s classroom needs to be that students can make progress in their learning (Assessment for learning, 1999).

References

Assessment for learning: Beyond the black box. (1999). University of Cambridge, Faculty of Education. ISBN: 0856030422.

Drake, S. M., Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment: Engaging the 21st Century Learner. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.

Earl, L. M. & Katz, S. (2006). Rethinking classroom assessment with purpose in mind: assessment for learning, assessment as learning.[Toronto, ON]: Western and Northern Canadian Protocol for Collaboration in Education