Assessment Advice

The purpose of this workshop is to:

Define the concepts of assessment for
learning, assessment as learning and
assessment of learning
Explore effective and powerful assessment
approaches for classroom use
 OUR EDUCATIVE PURPOSE

What is powerful What is powerful

to learning and
learn? what promotes it?
Who do we
Victorian LEARNER Principles of report to?
Essential Learning Learning
Standards and Teaching

Students
How do we know Parents
it has been learnt? Colleagues
School
System
Assessment Advice
 Assessment

Write down your immediate thoughts

when you hear the word assessment
 Assessment definition
Assessment is the ongoing process of gathering,
analysing and reflecting on evidence to make
informed and consistent judgements to improve
future student learning.

http://www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/assessment/
Why do we gather and interpret evidence of
learning?
At classroom level (student, teacher and parent)
Provide appropriate learning opportunities
Feedback for future learning
Develop partnerships
Modify teaching

At system level (leadership team and system)

Evaluate, provide quality assurance & certify
To report to Government
 Assessment Advice
Assessment is the ongoing process of gathering,
analysing and reflecting on evidence to make
informed and consistent judgements to improve
future student learning.
Assessment has multiple purposes:
Assessment for learning (formative)
Assessment as learning (formative)
Assessment of learning (summative)
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/assessment/
 Assessment for learning (formative)
research
Recent international research on assessment points to
substantial gains in student achievement that can be affected
through the use of formative assessment in the classroom.

Formative assessment promotes the goals of life long learning,

including raising levels of student achievement, greater equity of
student outcomes, and improved learning to learn skills

OECD (2005) Formative Assessment Improving Learning in Secondary

Classrooms, Paris, France: OECD Publishing
 Assessment for learning (formative)
definition

Assessment for learning occurs when

teachers use inferences about student
progress to inform their teaching.
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/assessment/
 Assessment for learning
in practice
Changing planned curriculum when an observation is
made of a students unexpected level of current
knowledge, skills and behaviours
Prior learning
Scaffolding a students learning after s/he
demonstrates a misconception in a conversation, an
essay or on a test
Sharing criteria so that students understand what they
are being assessed against and can strive to achieve
 Where are we at?

RED - I have little or no understanding

AMBER - I have a partial understanding
GREEN Enough understanding to continue
Black & Wiliam, Working Inside the Black Box
 Assessment as learning (formative)
research
Formative assessment is most productive when
students are trained in self-assessment so that they
can understand the purposes of their learning and
grasp what they need to do to achieve.

Black, P & Wiliam, D (1988) Phi Delta Kappan. Bloomington: Oct

1998. Vol. 80, Iss. 2;SSN/ISBN:00317217t
Assessment as learning (formative)
definition
Assessment as learning occurs when
students reflect on and monitor their
progress to inform their future learning
goals.
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/assessment/
 Assessment as learning
in practice
Students:
self and peer-assessing
writing reflections
developing concept maps of previous and
new learning
setting goals
discussing annotated work with their teachers
 Assessment as learning
Reflection
Take a couple of minutes to reflect on what you
have learnt about assessment so far today, write it
down
Identify one thing you would like further
clarification around or something you would like to
learn more about
How could you go about learning more?
 Where are we at?

RED - I have little or no understanding

AMBER - I have a partial understanding
GREEN Enough understanding to continue
Black & Wiliam, Working Inside the Black Box
Assessment of learning (summative)
research
The overall message is that summative tests
should become a positive part of the learning
process. Through active involvement in the
testing process, students can see that they can
be the beneficiaries rather than the victims of
testing, because tests can help them improve
their learning.
(Phi Delta Kappan. Bloomington: Sep 2004. Vol. 86, Iss. 1; pg. 9)
 Assessment of learning (summative)
definition

Assessment of learning occurs when

teachers use evidence of student learning to
make judgements on student achievement
against goals and standards.
 Assessment of learning in
practice
Tests at the end of a unit
AIM, VCE state-wide exams
Benchmark reading text levels
Presentation, e.g. oral or project
Which assessment approaches do
you think are most effective and
powerful?

Assessment for learning occurs when

teachers use inferences about student
progress to inform their teaching
Which assessment approaches do
you think are most effective and
powerful?

Assessment as learning occurs when

students reflect on and monitor their
progress to inform their future learning
Which assessment approaches do
you think are most effective and
powerful?
Assessment of learning occurs when
teachers use evidence of student learning
to make judgements on student
achievement against goals and standards
Further Assessment information

http://www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/assessment/

email: studentlearning@edumail.vic.gov.au