Difference between revisions of "QA4ODFL2/Assessment/Advantages"

Revision as of 04:42, 13 September 2023

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) .

Learning activity 8

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:

Quiz

• All of the following are forms of formative assessment except:
  • Learners answering some questions in writing at the end of a day’s lesson.
  • Weekly tests administered by the teacher
  • Learners undertaking practical task after a lesson with a teacher
  • Writing end of year examination which determines whether progression to the next grade
• For formative assessment to be effective,
  • It must always be done by the teacher
  • It must always be done every week
  • There must always be timely feedback to students
  • It should not be based on what learners have learned.
• Assessment for learning is teacher driven.
  • True
  • False
• It is not important for learners to know why they are assessed
  • True
  • False
• Assessment as learning
  • Is more useful for learning because it takes place at the end of a year
  • Is more teacher than learner-centred
  • Is more student than teacher-centred
  • Is used for judgemental purposes
• All of the following activities promote self-directed learning except:
  • Developing learning portfolios
  • Requiring learners to engage in groups after going through a unit of a course independently
  • Providing learners with short exercises that have instant feedback
  • Writing compulsory end of year examinations
• Assessment as learning:
  • Promotes self-directed learning
  • Is only possible in a face-to-face learning environment
  • Cannot be encouraged through learning design
  • Is applicable only at tertiary level
• One way of ridding assessment of fear and anxiety is:
  • By only assessing learners in groups, like for group project work.
  • By minimising linking assessment to learner progression
  • By passing every learner in a class
  • By not analysing assessment results
• In open schooling, where there is more independent learning than in face-to-face schooling,
  • Teachers should not assess learners
  • There should only be assessment of and not assessment for learning.
  • All the three forms of assessment (assessment for, assessment of and assessment as learning) should be used.
  • There should be no recording of assessment results.

Reflection

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/)