Pedagogical comments: Formative Assessment & Motivation

Formative Assessment & Motivation

As stated, According to those who study the human brain (see, for example, Caine & Caine, 1997; Jensen, 1998), we all have an innate desire to learn; we are born with intrinsic motivation. (p.38) However, in a P.E. setting, very often this motivation is stifled and curbed when students cannot demonstrate a skill. They try and try and they just cannot get it. Frustration builds and there comes a point when the student says enough is enough. Therein lays the danger with setting rigid goals. As teachers, in order to keep that intrinsic motivation alive we should be flexible and set goals for students that are attainable. Learning is a process and students experiencing success while on this journey is crucial as a motivational tool. All students learn in different ways and at different paces. We as teachers should differentiate the level and pace at which we assess students. I believe that if teachers can effectively identify achievable goals for students

Growth paths of students are more defined for students (individually) Success rate of students within their learning will increase Motivation levels will increase Teachers can plan effective lesson plans to meet students More positive learning experiences

In continuation, when we look at formative assessment and how it can be used to motivate the learning process, my thoughts are reflected by; Stiggins, R., Arter, J., Chappuis, J., & Chappuis, S. (2009) on the Seven Strategies of Assessment for

Pedagogical comments: Formative Assessment & Motivation Learning (p.45) which includes three questions, 1. Where am I going? 2. Where am I now? 3. How can I close the gap? When I look at how motivation is linked with success of students, I want to go back to the idea of how students, being more aware of what is expected of them assists them in better achievement. Hence, the opposite of that being, the inability to effectively communicate expectations to students, results in students inability of effectively succeed which could result in losing motivation, which could result in weaker learning experiences for students. Hence to address this issue:

Teachers prepare assessment objectives that are clear to students. Meet with other teachers to talk about these goals set to figure out the best way to represent or illustrate expectations.

Come up with alternate ways to illustrate objectives and goals to meet the needs of all kinds of learners- some students prefer rubrics, some prefer visual representations, some students verbal expressions and so on....

A second thought connected with motivation and assessment is the involvement of students in the assessment process. As stated by Garrison, c and Ehringhaus, M, Ph.D., There are numerous strategies teachers can implement to engage students. In fact, research shows that the involvement in and ownership of their work increases students motivation to learn (p.2). I truly believe that student involvement in the assessment process hugely impacts their motivation with the topic being covered. Students ability to self assess their work helps students answer that question of where am I now. As teachers it is important that we recognize the importance of students being able to accurately answer these questions. As teachers we should offer regular descriptive

Pedagogical comments: Formative Assessment & Motivation

feedback to students as well as equip them with the tools to identify strengths and areas of improvement, be able to record their thoughts, self and peer assess performances, and the ability to set future goals for future learning. During our gymnastics unit, students were given a rubric on how to effectively do a forward roll. They were shown videos as well as physical demonstrations on good forward rolls as per the rubric. They were also shown videos on Poor practice. Students were then asked to self assess as well as peer assess their partners performance based on the rubric. There are several positive influences that come out of these exercises:

These assessment opportunities give students a sense of ownership for the learning that they are experiencing.

Students got more involved and the opportunity to show their work to their peers encouraged them to improve performance.

In physical Education, students demonstrate their skills and it is very difficult to see what they are doing by themselves. The ability for someone to give them feedback in real time allows them to make adjustments to their practice. This opportunity to make adjustments in real time allows students to take timely steps to improve performance based on the feedback given. In my experience, this timely feedback enables students to improve performance. This sense of achievement feeds the feeling of success which enhances motivation to engage in future learning.

The Peer Assessment activity allowed students to verbalize and externalize their internal thoughts about the skill to be demonstrated. This verbalization allowed me, the assessor, to better understand the expectations of the skills being taught

Pedagogical comments: Formative Assessment & Motivation

and further assists them in enhancing their own learning experience. It also allowed students to witness reflection as I modeled what accurate reflection looks like. Thirdly when we look at motivation, we know that a students success level has a big impact on motivation. To do this, as explained by Stiggins, R., Arter, J., Chappuis, J., & Chappuis, S. (2009), as teachers, we must design lessons that focus on one aspect of quality at a time, as well as teach students focused revision, as well as engage students in self reflection, and let them keep track and share their learning.(p.p. 44,45) In order to facilitate this, I see the role that digital portfolios play as an effective formative assessment tool in closing the gap in learning, which in turn, promotes enhanced success rates in students, thereby enhances motivation in the learning process. Mohnsen (2008) explains that once digitized, these videos are useful for students to view pre- and post-clips, observe developments, and document differences and how they illustrated personal growth through essay writing in their digital portfolios. Digital portfolios are, therefore, used in such a capacity to provide a map and a journey of student progress and growth to the student, teacher, and parents. Therefore if students are to keep track and share their learning, these portfolios can be an effective tool to do that. ePortfolios enhance the effectiveness of student-led conferences by highlighting other areas, such as acquisition of gross and fine motor skills through demonstration of the work in natural contexts (i.e., through videos, photos, etc.). As explained by DarlingHammond, Ancess, and Falk (1995), Stiggins (2005), and Wiggins (1998), this opportunity to showcase work encourages students to put their best work down and therefore motivates them to improve performances. These portfolios which include

Pedagogical comments: Formative Assessment & Motivation videos, worksheets, reflections, and future growth plans authored by students can be made accessible to teachers, students, and parents at the click of a button, and serve as an effective tool to showcase student work.

Pedagogical comments: Formative Assessment & Motivation

References Darling-Hammond, L., Ancess, J., & Falk, B. (1995). Authentic assessment in action: Studies of schools and students at work. New York: Teachers College Press. Mohnsen, B. (2008). Using Technology in Physical Education. Cerritos, CA: Bonnies Fitware, Inc. Stiggins, R., Arter, J., Chappuis, J., & Chappuis, S. (2009). Classroom Assessment for Student Learning: Doing It Right-Using It Well. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Article on Formative and Summative Assessments in the Classroom by Catherine Garrison and Michael Ehringhaus, Ph. D. retrieved on April 3rd, 2011. http://www.nmsa.org/portals/0/pdf/publications/Web_Exclusive/Formative_Summative_ Assessment.pdf