Assessment

[|Constructivism: Pre-Assessment]

[|RUBRIC MAKER]

[|Webcast Assessment]

[|Webcast Assessment] These two webcasts feature Lorna Earl: 3 Types of Assessment...& How to provided direct & specific feedback

Consider or refer to an assignment that you have given. Identify how a student did or might struggle with one or two expectations that the assignment addressed. With reference both to your reading and viewing in this block, provide specific and direct feedback on the problem in student-friendly language. Identify a next step the student might take to improve

The following is an assignment I designed for my Grade 10 History class (during my York U Faculty of Education practicum placement this year).
 * Which Canadian mission was the greatest disaster – The Battle of Dieppe or ** **the Battle of Hong** **Kong?**
 * Part A **: Reflect on the following two //historical thinking concepts//

1. **Cause and Consequence**: (How do we explain the effects and decisions and actions taken regarding the two battles?) 2. **The Ethical Dimension** (Should we be making an ethical judgment regarding one or both of the battles?)
 * Part B: ** Taking into consideration your thoughts on the above //historical thinking concepts// **AND** the evidence you noted on the chart you just completed, write a paragraph arguing which Canadian mission you think was the most disastrous for Canadians? PUT ON YOUR HISTORICAL THINKING CAP! YOU BE THE JUDGE!

A few students struggled with the concept of providing sufficient evidence to support their argument. The website //Constructivism: Knowledge Building in the Secondary Classroom// includes an article on “Pre-Assessment” that indicates that “it is critical to recognize prior knowledge so students can engage in questioning, formulating, thinking and theorizing in order to construct new knowledge appropriate to their level.” It is possible that a few students did not do well because they failed to realize what criteria they should use in order to determine which battle was the most disastrous. Therefore, I would provide specific and direct feedback on the problem knowing that I should have taken more time for assessing prior knowledge. By focusing on assessment for learning, I would ask the students to create a “list of criteria” that they think should guide them as they argue which battle was the most disastrous for Canada. After reviewing their list and offering suggestions, I would ask them to revise their paper. Lorna Earl notes that assessment for learning occurs when teachers use assessment to find out what students are thinking so teachers know what to do instructionally. If I were to re-teach this lesson, I would use the following pre-assessment tool to prepare students for the written assignment. **SA/A/D/SD** - Students are given to opportunity to formulate their own views and opinions along a continuum rather than dialectically. Given an issue (Dieppe was the greatest disaster for Canada) “students are asked to consider the topic and determine whether they strongly agree (SA), agree (A), disagree (d), or strongly disagree (SD) with the statement. They are then asked to move to the appropriate station in the classroom identified with one of the options. A class discussion follows as students are given the opportunity to outline and defend their positions, refute the arguments of others as well as re-evaluate their own ideas. “ http://www.saskschools.ca/curr_content/constructivism/how/preassessment.html

I like response activities that allow students to be a part of a group. As Pat states it is easier on the students. I like forming a "list of criteria" this would allow the students who are unclear to better understand the activity.

An assignment I have given was an introduction lesson to the GPS. Students may struggle because they may not be as technically able as others, some may be visual impaired and might struggle with the system, and some may struggle relating the points on the GPS to their physical location. I would give students direct feedback by telling them they made a great effort and offering further support for them so they do not get discouraged. I would also encourage them to partner up or shadow a student who is more comfortable with the activity where that student will show them how to and have them repeat it until they catch on. Assessment for this would be based primarily on participation (“assessment as learning”) My next steps would be to consider reviewing previous lessons pertaining to maps, positioning, longitude/latitude and compass/directions. Have students pair up in terms of strength so that a student who is struggling may benefit from the knowledge of students who are more advanced. If that doesn’t work, pair myself up with those students who are struggling while the rest of the class completes activities with the GPS Develop a simple activity where the student go to a specific point (school flag pole for example) and mark the position. Then have the students refer to their starting point and have the GPS guide them back to the flag pole I will need to ensure that all students are comfortable in using the GPS before moving on to more advanced activities (like Geocaching).

Student success is our primary goal for all our students. If a student was unsuccessful on an assignment it is imperative to provide feedback to that student so they are aware of what and how they can improve. Prior to an assignment being given to students, a lesson needs to be taught and pre-assessment strategies (jigsaw, graffiti, expert groups etc) need to be implemented in order for students to be given a proper background and facts on the topic being covered. It is important that as teachers, we do not project our own personal views on students but ensure they are aware of the difference between facts and opinion. If students were unsuccessful on an assignment we need to not only provide them with a mark, but also incorporate constant descriptive comments as well as provide next step comments where they can improve. Lorna Earl suggests our focus of assessment needs to be heavily weighed on assessment as learning rather than for and of. As students need to work together both with peers and educators, ask for help, and ensure their own individual needs are being met in order for them to successfully develop their own critical thinking and opinions not based on bias. Assessment as learning as well as providing consistent feedback and providing next steps (developing their thoughts, by providing them with guiding questions etc.,) will provide students with insights of what they do not understand.

[|Portfolios for Physical Education]

[|Growing Success] The following seven fundamental principles lay the foundation for rich and challenging practice. When these principles are fully understood and observed by all teachers, they will guide the collection of meaningful information that will help inform instructional decisions, promote student engagement,and improve student learning. To ensure that assessment, evaluation, and reporting are valid and reliable, and that they lead to the improvement of learning for all students, teachers use practices and procedures that: • are fair, transparent, and equitable for all students; • support all students, including those with special education needs, those who are learning the language of instruction (English or French), and those who are First Nation, Métis, or Inuit; • are carefully planned to relate to the curriculum expectations and learning goals and, as much as possible, to the interests, learning styles and preferences, needs, and experiences of all students; • are communicated clearly to students and parents at the beginning of the school year or course and at other appropriate points throughout the school year or course; • are ongoing, varied in nature, and administered over a period of time to provide multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate the full range of their learning; • provide ongoing descriptive feedback that is clear, specific, meaningful, and timely to support improved learning and achievement; • develop students’ self-assessment skills to enable them to assess their own learning, set specific goals, and plan next steps for their learning. P. 6, //[|Growing Success.]//
 * The Seven Fundamental Principles**

examples from peers

[|Assessment to Promote Learning: Helping Students Understand Assessment]

[|Using Student-Centered Classroom Assessment to Close Achievment Gaps]

Describe a way in which you currently use student peer and self-assessment, and a next step that you might take. Post your description and next step to the Discussion forum.

The article entitled “Helping Students Understand Assessment” by Jan Chappuis states that students need to be able to answer three basic questions: where am I going? Where am I now? And how can I close the gap? I taught a grade 12 Food Science class this past semester and I had my students complete a 3 day final lab, where they made a full meal from scratch. It was very structured and really had students working hard and together for the three days. Once they completed the lab they also had to hand in a package with a checklist of completed tasks, grocery lists, cost lists etc. I also had students complete a self and peer evaluation. It was interesting to see the ratings, as many corresponded with my marking, but it was beneficial for me to read the comments made by group members. I next step I may take in the future is students sharing their self and peer evaluations with their group members and have them discuss where they could have all improved. My students knew what my expectations where of them throughout their lab, as they have been given rubrics all semester. Chappuis states in strategy four that we need to teach students to self-assess and set goals. Through my students completing a self and peer evaluation after their final lab, I feel they had an accurate comprehension of how they did as they could reflect on their own skills and those of their group members.

hat is, explicitly teach the students what you are expecting from them, the content and quality of work. I always liked peer evaluations, esp when they are working a med-large groups. It emphasises that each student needs to be responsible for their piece of the pie- without penalizing the entire group, if work has not been completed by the few.

To create an effective learning environment for non-verbal students in the PIP (Planning for Independent Program), the classroom needs accurate assessment of communication. Specially, with non-verbal students with intellectual challenges, they do not know how to ask for what they want or need help with. Therefore, the PIP classroom needs to create a classroom in the most effective way to help communicate with non-verbal students. Many of these students that I work with use PECs (Picture Exchange Communication System) to communicate with what they want or what they need. They need to recognize what they do not know and how to ask etc. Therefore the reconfigured assessment is more effective for non-verbal students to encourage speech and questions to everyone around them in every possible way through PECs or pointing systems etc. If they are able to speak or ask questions themselves, we will collect more effective and accurate assessment tools even if they are only small steps of improvement.

When I assign a report essay to the class, I go over examples with them. Using an overhead I put up different examples of report essays. Each student is given the rubric in whichI will mark their final essay with. Together we go over each essay focusing on what the writer did well and not so well. The students then grade the essay using the rubric. I then show the students the actual grade and together we view the rubric and talk about the difference between their grade and the actual one. This provides the students with a visual of the different levels of writing and also they have a better understanding of how they are going to be graded. I also, have the students proof-read another students rough copy and provide feedback and suggestions using a checklist of what to look for. As anext step, I’m going to add more level 1 and 2 examples. In Chappuis’ articleshe mentions that “ when students evaluate weakexamples that mirror common problems, they become more proficient atidentifying their own weaknesses and gain abetter understanding of quality.”

Having students involved in the assessment of their own work increases their involvement in assignments and other performance tasks, which will increase their motivation to learn and succeed. Assessing their own work means developing the ability to analyze more thoroughly their own capabilities and strengths as well as their effort, and makes the students more involved in the learning process. It is important for students to receive detailed feedback from their teacher; however, this communication should occur as a dialogue so that the student accepts responsibility of his or her learning. Having said that, the teacher needs to be aware that the student is on track towards improvement and self or peer assessment allows this to happen.

I usually give students a rubric with the assignment so that they are well aware of how they will be evaluated. I also let them do peer assessments on one another so that they are given feedback from fellow students. When assessing their work, I give my own constructive feedback with detailed descriptions of why I marked them the way I did, and I allow them to speak to me directly if they need clarification on their marks. Assessment is a tool that is used to promote learning, not merely to measure success.

The article "Helping Students Understand Assessment" by Jan Chappuis outlines 7 strategies to help students improve their learning. The one strategy that I currently use is what she outlines as teaching students focused revision. Basically, working on assignment in every aspect so that is it completed to the best of their ability. An example of this strategy is with a project I do with my Grade 9, Introduction to Computers class. The project is a final summative and requires them to build a portfolio of all their work over the semester. The Self and peer evaluation piece is when they go over each others work and make suggestion on how they can make it better. It is up to the student to take the advice that their peer gave them and the suggestions that where made by me as part of their feedback. They would then show it to a small group in which they would give written feedback, where once again the student has the option to change somethings before they hand in their final assignment. A next step that I might take in using peer and self assessment is the self reflection piece. Having them then communicate how they closed the gap in their learning.

You are right about mentioning that it is about quality instead of quantity of work. It is interesting to see that you have incorporated assessment using teacher and student input as an intermediate step- before the final evaluation. If I was going to do the same- I would imagine that the peer evaluation would have a simplified rubric- I would also include an evaluation mark for the student evaluator- to ensure they put forth a quality effort. Before this activity- I would model the related expectations and provide exemplars for students- to activiate prior knowledge or aquire new skills/knowledge. I would also mix student evaluators of various acheivement levels- to ensure that each student receives feedback from students of all acheivement levels/perspectives.

The main question raised in the various articles is- why use student peer and self-assessment?

The big idea for using peer/self assessment is to ensure that all students have the knowledge and skills- to engage in opportunities of success. E.g. Rick and Jan mentions in their article about using assessment to promote self-concept (e.g. capable learners).

I do not have my own class- however during my placement- I used several strategies that were illustrated in the assigned articles-

The main question raised in the various articles is- why use student peer and self-assessment?

The big idea for using peer/self assessment is to ensure that all students have the knowledge and skills- to engage in opportunities of success. E.g. Rick and Jan mentions in their article about using assessment to promote self-concept (e.g. capable learners).

I do not have my own class- however during my placement- I used several strategies that were illustrated in the assigned articles-

For instance, Jan (2005) suggested- to promote self assessment and reflection- include strategies such as; sharing and modeling learning expectations/targets (e.g. I had students create/revise rubrics for presentations/-peer assessments); using exemplars to broadcast quality expectations (e.g. I created a museum of exemplars and asked students to visit each exemplar and describe what they liked or what they could have done differently); provide constructive, timely, and continuous feedback (e.g. I tried to return tests and assignments within 5 days of submission- feedback is more relevant when attention is given in a timely manner); teach and model the skills and knowledge students need to be critical assessors of their own output (e.g. provided students with a self assessment rubric for presentations- that included questions such as- if I were to improve my oral/visual presentation I would have….”; Keep-It-Simple-Silly and focus on core expectations, one at a time- ensuring mastery (e.g. when creating peer assessments- I made it short and simple- 3 criteria’s- visual, presentation style, and relevancy/information- this way students can focus on the evaluation at hand); engage students in self reflection using a variety of literacy skills and knowledge (e.g. I’ve used exit cards and journals for self reflection activities).

//Writing Partner ships allow students to establish students peer and self-assessment. By have a quick discussion with a neighbour what is required in organized note book. This allows students to get ready for the work they might do later in a more structured partnership. By having students reviews their peers weekly note book for missing items and they come to know their notebook as well. I find students can use peer feedback on missing items and in the future do self assessment of what’s needed to have a proper notebook.//

I like the involvement of a partner. I use partnerships in my classroom as well. I find that if I provide a quality checklist for them to use it helps partners focus their energy effectively when conferencing.

One strategy that I used with my grade 7's and really found benificial was diagnostic agree/disagree statements followed by a lesson and then self-reflective re-assessments. In the Canadian History unit, before we started the question, "Did Canada and the Canadian settlers mistreat our Aboriginal people?" Students had to respond with either writing yes or no and a brief sentence or two backing up thier belief. After the lesson we revisted this question and students got to re-assess thier beliefs and consider why they originally thought the way they did and what specific evidence changed thier thought process. This strategy is a not only a valuable tool for student self-assessment but it also provides a quality hook for beginning units and new lessons.

One of my favourite self-assessment tools is the exit card. At the end of a lesson, I ask a question based on the lesson’s learning goals and success criteria. In her article “Helping Students Understand Assessment,” Jan Chappuis notes that, students need to know what learning targets they are responsible for mastering… Marzano (2005) asserts that students who can identify what they are learning significantly outscore those who cannot.” Prior to exiting the room, each student provides a response on the slip of paper. I stand at the doorway and collect the cards as the students leave the room. Learning Goal: Today I learned…/ Today I learned more about…/ Today I improved at… Some of the steps I took to get there are… Some evidence that I am meeting the learning goal is… I need to learn more about… This website had more information on exit cards. [] When used as an assessment for and as learning tool, students may stop taking exit cards seriously since there is no mark assigned. A next step would be occasionally to assign a mark, making it an assessment as learning tool. See the following website for a sample rubric. Another alternative is provide descriptive feedback on the exit card and return it to the student. [] I have used peer assessment to assess participation and collaboration skills during group work using a group work checklist. The group as a whole must assess how well they worked as a group. A next step would be to use the same checklist and have each member conduct a self-assessment in terms of his or her individual contribution to the group.
 * Exit Card (sample) **

I love this idea! I occasionally use exit cards, but not often enough. In conjunction with the Learning Goal I think that it can be a very valuable tool. I believe that it can be even more valuable when used with a Success Criteria. While the LG tells the student what he/she has to learn, the SC informs the student of how to tell when he/she has learned it. I think that an exit card with a section where the student states what was learned and another section where he states why he is convinced that he has aquired the knowledge will be a more powerful tool in our hands.

Exit cards are a great strategy for keeping students focused on the lesson/unit and engaged throughout the period. One of my best experiences of using this tool was in my grade 10 english class in our essay unit. Students were able to build on what they learned the day before while reminding themselves that the unit is a progressive process and we can't just forget about what we learned the day before.

Whether writing an essay, a news report, or a specific paragraph form, I always try to provide students with exemplars and peer/self-evaluation checklists. Students can use the checklists to edit their work and make further revisions. A checklist (or rubric) has a set list of criteria or expectations required for successful completion of the assigned task. When students peer-edit, using the checklist (or rubric) provided, it allows them to see other examples of work and edit the assignment based on the criteria outlined. Individually and/or with a partner, they are able to identify their errors and actually see where they make mistakes. By going through this process, each student is able to reflect on how to continue to improve their work, when they are more aware of their strengths and areas of weaknesses. Ideally, it invites the student to become more involved in the writing process, develop their editing skills, and essentially improve their writing.

One of the essays I assign for History requires students to review their essay and then share with a partner. The partner is assigned as a blind sample. The students don't know who the other is. The object is to provide constructive feedback. All papers are returned to me and I return them to the owners. Owners then are able self assess their work and make corrections. A next step might be to send a second copy or corrected copy with the original suggestions to a second reviewer to see if the suggestions had been adequately completed.

One of the most effective ways to use peer assessment is by the “turn to your partner” approach. This gives students the ability to discuss their thoughts and opinions to another student before sharing with myself and the rest of the class. Most students are nervous to share in large groups of peers, and this gives them the ability to gain confidence in their response or reconstruct it with the advice from the peer they are paired up with. Students are encouraged to give positive feedback to their peers and offer appropriate advice when needed. One of the most effective ways to use self assessment is by one-on-one conferencing with the teacher. Both the teacher and student sit down, go over the work and then the student will decide what level the work is at, what is missing and what needs to be improved. This would be used with any type of outline, rough draft or small in-class assignments. This helps the teacher determine who is too hard or easy on themselves, and who’s work ethics need some improvement. This also prepares students for editing essays and other major assignments in the future, whether individually or with their peers.

After the "Growing Success" document was released, increased awareness was centralized around the six learning skills. Tracking these skills isn't always easy and student self-assessment and awareness of the skills greatly increases their chance of succeeding. In the first few weeks of class I introduce each learning skill and as a class we create success criteria for each specific skill. After the skills have been introduced I create a learning skills checklist using the success criteria created by the students. These checklists help students answer the question, "Where am I now?" A possible next step to increase knowledge and awareness of the learning skills would be to create and implement activities that support and promote each specific skill. These activities could be as simple as exit slips or as complex as group powerpoint presentations.

I like your idea about after the skills have been introduced creating a learning skills checklist using the success criteria created by the students. The checklists help students answer the question, "Where am I now?" It is a assessment as learners to implement activities that support and promote next activities.

My next step will be to try a strong and weak sample and the Student Self-Assessment Form from the article Helping Students Understand assessment. I can see that both strategies would be useful to the learner. I provide a strong sample but the weak sample show them what I'm not looking for. The Self-Assessment form would allow them to receive the feedback in writing. Often I make suggests over and over again because they have forgotten what I suggested.