QA4ODFL2/Assessment/Advantages
You have read about assessment as learning in this course. This is a very important type of assessment, especially in open schooling where self-directed learning determines a learner’s success. Self-assessment, supported with peer assessment is key in strengthening assessment as learning. The (Commonwealth of Learning) gives the following advantages of self and peer assessment:
- Increase student responsibility and autonomy;
- Achieve a more advanced and deeper understanding of the subject matter, skills and processes;
- Elevate the role and status of students as assessors;
- Encourage a deeper approach to learning;
- Involving students in critical reflection; and
- Develop in students a better understanding of their own subjectivity and judgement, (COL, 2016) .
Listen to the following short video clip. While you are watching think about the three types of assessment you have read about here.
[Watchtime: 0.53 mins]
by CLAS Network
After listening to the video, do the following quiz to check your understanding of these types of assessment:
- All of the following are forms of formative assessment except:
- Learners answering some questions in writing at the end of a day’s lesson.
- Incorrect answer. Answering questions at the end of the day are a type of formative assessment. It facilitates identification of gaps in the learning and implementing improvement
- Weekly tests administered by the teacher.
- Incorrect answer: Weekly tests are a form of formative assessment. They reveal what learners do not understand, which results in remedial action being taken
- Learners undertaking practical task after a lesson with a teacher.
- Incorrect answer: Undertaking a practical task after a lesson with a teacher is formative assessment. The practical task shows the learner and the teacher where if the former has mastered what was taught and any improvements needed
- Writing end of year examination which determines whether progression to the next grade.
- Correct answer: End of year examinations which determine progression to the next grade are not formative assessment. They are summative assessment. The results of the test are not going to help the learner to improve so he can progress to the next grade
- Learners answering some questions in writing at the end of a day’s lesson.
- For formative assessment to be effective,
- It must always be done by the teacher
- Incorrect answer: Formative assessment does not only become effective if it is done by the teacher only
- It must always be done every week
- Incorrect answer: For formative assessment to be effective, it doesn’t need to be done only on a weekly basis
- There must always be timely feedback to students
- Correct answer: Timely feedback gives learner opportunity to improve
- It should not be based on what learners have learned
- Incorrect answer: Formative assessment should be based on what learners have learned
- It must always be done by the teacher
- Assessment for learning is teacher driven.
- True
- Incorrect answer: Assessment for learning is not only teacher-driven
- False
- Correct answer: Assessment for learning can be learner driven
- True
- It is not important for learners to know why they are assessed
- True
- Incorrect answer: It is important for learners to know why they are assed
- False
- Correct answer: Learners should know why they are assessed
- True
- Assessment as learning
- Is more useful for learning because it takes place at the end of a year
- Incorrect answer: Assessment as learning happens during learning, so it cannot take place at the end of a year
- Is more teacher than learner-centred
- Incorrect answer: Assessment as learning is more learner centred – it takes place as the learner learns
- Is more student than teacher-centred
- Correct answer: Assessment as learning is student-centred
- Is used for judgemental purposes
- Incorrect answer: Assessment as learning is not used for judgemental purposes
- Is more useful for learning because it takes place at the end of a year
- All of the following activities promote self-directed learning except:
- Developing learning portfolios
- Incorrect answer: learning portfolios promote self-directed learning
- Requiring learners to engage in groups after going through a unit of a course independently
- Incorrect answer: Engaging in groups after going through a course unit promotes self-directed learning
- Providing learners with short exercises that have instant feedback
- Incorrect answer: Working through short exercises with instant feedback promotes self-directed learning
- Writing compulsory end of year examinations
- Correct answer: Writing compulsory examinations at the end of a year does not promote self-directed learning
- Developing learning portfolios
- Assessment as learning:
- Promotes self-directed learning
- Correct answer: Assessment as learning promotes self-directed learning
- Is only possible in a face-to-face learning environment
- Incorrect answer: Assessment as learning can be used even in other modes of provision, like distance education
- Cannot be encouraged through learning design
- Assessment as learning is in fact, better promoted through learning design
- Is applicable only at tertiary level
- Assessment as learning is not only applicable in tertiary education, it can be used at any level
- Promotes self-directed learning
- One way of ridding assessment of fear and anxiety is:
- By only assessing learners in groups, like for group project work.
- Incorrect answer: Even group assessment can cause anxiety among learners
- By minimising linking assessment to learner progression
- Correct answer: Not linking assessment to progression from one grade to the next is one way of ridding assessment of fear and anxiety
- By passing every learner in a class
- Incorrect answer: This is not a good way of ridding assessment of fear and anxiety
- By not analysing assessment results
- Incorrect answer: This is not a good way of ridding assessment of fear and anxiety. There is no point of assessing if assessment results are not analysed
- By only assessing learners in groups, like for group project work.
- In open schooling, where there is more independent learning than in face-to-face schooling,
- Teachers should not assess learners
- Incorrect answer: There should be assessment even in open schooling, especially since assessment is used for learning
- There should only be assessment of and not assessment for learning.
- Incorrect answer. Both assessment for and assessment of learning are needed. They both serve purposes
- All the three forms of assessment (assessment for, assessment of and assessment as learning) should be used.
- Correct answer: All the three forms of assessment should be used because they each serve a purpose
- There should be no recording of assessment results.
- Incorrect answer: Assessment results be recorded
- Teachers should not assess learners
Although we distinguish between formative and summative assessment, in practice there is overlap between the two forms of assessment. Formative assessment can sometimes contribute towards summative assessment, in addition to being used for learning improvement purposes. The same applies to assessment for, assessment of and assessment as learning. However, what is important to remember is that formative assessment has great potential for improving learning processes as gaps are identified early enough to take corrective measures. Also, assessment for learning has the same advantage, as the focus is not so much on grading as it is on enhancing the learning. To understand more about using integrated assessment, you are encouraged to read the Commonwealth of Learning Course, (AS4ODFL) on this link: (https://pacificopencourses.col.org/as4odfl/)
