Philosophy of Assessment: Learning from Assessment

Katie Clow
EDUC-5913
19 February 2015
Introduction
Assessment is one of the most difficult parts of a teachers job. Though there are a variety
of assessment strategies out there, the challenging part is deciding which ones will successfully
support and enhance student learning. Assessment should be about much more than evaluating
student performance; it should be used as a learning tool for both the students and the teacher.
Assessment should be used for and as learning, rather than of learning. As a teacher, I would
certainly strive to do just that, and put more focus on formative assessment that would truly
benefit both myself as the teacher and my students. To truly get a sense of what my students
know and what they need to work on, I believe assessment needs to happen before new material
is to be taught, during the time period new material is being taught, and after new material has
been taught to gauge how my students are doing and how I can better tend to their academic
needs.
Diagnostic Assessment
By assessing students before new material is taught, teachers are able to find out what the
students already know. This is a critical part in the learning process, as it allows students to
engage in questioning, formulating, thinking and theorizing in order to construct new knowledge
appropriate to their level. Diagnostic assessment allows teachers to figure out where students are
at with regards to the new content that you want to teach. It is also a good way to get to know
your students, and activates prior knowledge. You can find out what students are interested in
and how and what they like to learn.Teachers can use pre-assessment tools and strategies to find
out such information. Diagnostic assessment tools that I would use include KWL (know-wantlearn) charts, partner discussions, and entrance slips. I would also be open to the consideration of
other tools used for pre-assessment. By diagnostically assessing students, I would get a more
accurate picture of what my students know before diving into a new unit or concept. I would
have the necessary background knowledge to guide my teaching and meet the needs of students.
These assessment strategies would also be an asset in helping reveal remediation or enrichment
opportunities among the students, which would help me to tier and differentiate my lessons.
Assessment for Learning
All students progress at different levels and learn at different paces. If all students are not
grasping a concept, then it is acceptable to spend more time teaching the concept, rather than

Philosophy of Assessment: Learning from Assessment

continuing on through the material. As Wormeli (2011) states, The goal is that all students learn
the content, not just the ones who can learn on the uniform time line. Curriculum goals don't
require that every individual reaches the same level of proficiency on the same day, only that
every student achieves the goal. By keeping this in mind and using the curriculum outcomes as
a starting point in deciding what to assess, I will continue to assess students throughout a unit in
order to expose students' thinking and skills in relation to the intended learning (Manitoba
Education, Citizenship and Youth, 2006). Such assessment methods that I would use during this
time would be questioning, observations, conversations, entrance and exit slips, learning logs,
show what you know booklets, and other methods that would be useful in assessing what and
how students are learning. Record keeping is also very important when assessing students, as it
allows for teachers to keep notes about students progress that can be referenced at all times.
Record keeping would also allow me to create benchmarks within my class, and to provide each
student with individualized feedback that will further help their learning (Manitoba Education,
Citizenship and Youth, 2006).
Summative Assessment
When it comes to assessing students after a unit, teachers usually tend to rely heavily on
summative assessment. While I feel there is a time and place for summative assessment, I do
believe that some summative assessments are not an accurate depiction of what students truly
know, such as tests and quizzes that rely heavily on rote memorization. This is because there are
a variety of factors that may influence a student's performance on a summative test, including
test anxiety, misreading of a question, and simply filling out the test wrong. Summative tests tend
to measure how well students can retain information under pressure, rather than truly giving
students the chance to show what they know. Though I understand that summative tests and
exams are required at times, I do believe that are other very effective ways of assessing what
students have learned at the end of a unit. It is important to know as an educator that summative
assessment goes beyond tests and quizzes. By providing students with options such as projects,
papers, creative performances, or a combination, students are able to pick a means to show what
they know in a way that best suits their learning style. Students' feel more comfortable when they
get to choose, and when they have choice they have more responsibility and autonomy over their
work.
Assessment for Motivation
Assessment can also be used as a means of motivation. As the Manitoba Education,
Citizenship, and Youth (2006) document states, "assessment can enhance students motivation by
emphasizing progress and achievement rather than failure, providing feedback to move learning

Philosophy of Assessment: Learning from Assessment

forward, reinforcing the idea that students have control over, and responsibility for, their own
learning, building confidence in students so they can and feel the need to take risks, being
relevant, and appealing to students' imaginations, and providing the scaffolding that students
need to genuinely succeed." I believe that positive feedback that can enhance students' learning is
much more effective than negative
feedback or a simple letter or percentage grade. By getting positive feedback, students are more
likely to respond better to said feedback and take the feedback in a way to improve rather than a
negative outlook on their abilities.
Conclusion
When assessment is used before, during and after learning it is beneficial for both
students and teachers. By formatively assessing students, teachers not only get to know their
students better, but also get to see how they are shaping their students' minds. By summatively
assessing students, teachers and students can get an idea of what students learned after material
has been taught. I believe that for assessment to truly be beneficial, it needs to happen before
learning, during learning and after learning occurs. This allows for students to consistently see
how they are doing and what they can do to improve on their learning in order to reach their
goals. Assessment also needs to be used as a means of motivation for students, rather than simply
placing students in a percentage category. Students and teachers alike should get positive
reactions from feedback, and use that to enhance learning. As I have outlined in statement, I will
use assessment to positively benefit the needs of students. I understand the importance of
assessment, and I hope to convey it's importance to my students so that they benefit from the
assessment strategies that I plan to implement in my classroom.

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References
Wormeli, R. (2011). Redos and retakes done right. Effective Grading Practices, 69(3), 22-26.
Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth (2006). Rethinking Classroom Assessment with
Purpose in Mind: Assessment for Learning, Assessment as Learning, Assessment of
Learning. Retrieved from: <http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/ks4/assess/index.html>