Definition: The ongoing process of gathering, analysing and reflecting on evidence to make informed and consistent judgements to improve student learning". (1) Assessment is both a noun and a verb as it can be a score and also the process of formulating that score.
1. Assessment OF learning. The making of judgements on student achievement against goals and standards.
2. Assessment FOR learning. The giving and receiving of feedback during the learning cycle. Whether formal or informal, this should be frequent and embedded in the teaching process.
3. Assessment AS learning. Students reflect on and monitor their own progress. This self-assessment is a metacognitive process.
Issues:
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Including assessment in the Focal ladder is primarily to ensure that it is always present in the planning of lessons. Assessment can be part of every lesson as it is goes beyond formal assessments done by the teacher to include reflective thinking by the students.
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An assessment issue arising from the interviews with the six viewers was that of memory. It was my intention that concepts depicted in the animations such as counting would be fully understood and therefore remembered. I deliberately delayed the post test so that viewers would have time to forget whatever they didn't really understand. “With a delayed review, students may shift their focus to the concept relations communicated by the graphic organisers instead of trying to remember only the surface structure of the test”. (2)
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Chunking. The notion of remembering “chunks” of information was articulated by Miller in 1956 (3). The magic number (+ or – 2) was said to be our working limit for retaining information. Being aware of this number enabled me to refine the layout of the animations.
Recommendation: Reduce variables to increase clarity. If assessment is regular and consistent, it can become more specific when variables are reduced. The following two sound files from the Swing/straight section demonstrate how I have come to apply this principle. I used to teach the difference between swing and straight rhythms using contrast but now I use the same notes so that the only difference is the feel.
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(1) Vermont Primary School, report writing guidelines, October 2006.
(2) Robinson (1998:30)