What is assessment ?

Assessment is the ongoing process of gathering, analysing and reflecting on evidence to make informed and consistent judgements to improve future student learning.

VELS advocates 3 types of assessment

formative summative authentic

Formative assessment is a continuous and ongoing process, part of day to day teaching where teachers continually confirm or modify their activities and directions with their students.

The second form of assessment advocated in VELS is Summative which is used at the end of a unit or semester to determine what each student has achieved and learnt.

The final type of assessment, Authentic, involving the application of knowledge and skills over time requires clear criteria of which students are aware and involved. In relating assessment criteria to clearly developed learning expectations with a given task, students think carefully about what is being assessed and the kinds of evidence that would need to be provided to show their understanding.
VELS Assessment p3

Three purposes for assessment

Assessment for learning occurs when teachers use inferences about student progress to inform their teaching. (formative) Assessment as learning occurs when students reflect on and monitor their progress to inform their future learning goals. (formative)

Assessment of learning occurs when teachers use evidence of student learning to make judgements on student achievement against goals and standards. (summative)

Assessment
In pairs or small groups, brainstorm the
assessment strategies used in your school/classroom.

Some strategies you may have listed Formative:

Brainstorming Concept maps Know Want Learn How Pathfinders or search plans Graphic organizers Venn diagram PMI (De Bono) Notetaking Questioning

Summative: Self assessment Peer assessment

Authentic:

Rubrics

Activity

Consider your brainstorm list of assessment strategies. Can you now categorise these into the 3 purposes for assessment? (for, as, of)

Assessment for learning:

establishes a classroom culture that encourages interaction and the use of assessment tools

occurs throughout a learning sequence and is planned when teachers design teaching and learning activities
involves teachers sharing learning intentions and explicit assessment criteria with students involves teachers and students setting and monitoring student progress against learning goals requires teachers to ascertain students' prior knowledge, perceptions and misconceptions

Assessment for learning:

(continued)
involves teachers focusing on how students learn and how to scaffold their learning
involves teachers adapting teaching practice to meet student needs provides sensitive and constructive feedback to students on their performance

involves teachers making formative use of summative assessment

Activity
In pairs or small groups, select two characteristics of Assessment for learning and discuss how these may be demonstrated in your classroom.

Assessment of learning:
enables students to demonstrate what they know and can do

describes the extent to which a student has achieved the learning goals, including the Standards
uses teacher judgements about student achievement at a point in time is supported by examples or evidence of student learning

ensures consistent teacher judgements through moderation processes

is used to plan future learning goals

Activity

In pairs or small groups discuss the types of assessment of learning used in your school.
How is the information/data from these used?

Authentic learning - Rubrics

..When given to students before they commence a unit of work, students are able to think about the criteria and goals they have to meet and how they can address these. Rubrics serve an important role in creating assessment that is student centred and standards driven.. VELS

Assessment Rubrics
Two Examples

Students name

Assessment of Thinking Strategies Mary Smith, Jane Doe, 3. Has demonstrated the use of suitable Harry Butler thinking strategies, such as graphic organizers, to generate, analyse, and interpret evidence
2. Has shown an understanding of the use of graphic organizers as a thinking strategy, to generate and analyse evidence.

Jim Heinz, Fred Jones

1. With assistance can use a graphic organiser to generate and analyse evidence

Assessment of Thinking Strategies:- Use of Graphic organisers Science Level 3 Mary Smith 3. Has demonstrated the use of suitable thinking strategies, such as graphic organizers, to generate, analyse, and interpret evidence

Jane Doe 3. Has demonstrated the use of suitable thinking strategies, such as graphic organizers, to generate, analyse, and interpret evidence
Jim Heinz 2. Has shown an understanding of the use of graphic organizers as a thinking strategy, to generate and analyse evidence.

Level 3: Science:

Through use of Graphic Organisers

Students Name

Has demonstrated use of suitable thinking strategies to generate, analyse and interpret evidence Has demonstrated use of suitable thinking strategies to generate, analyse and interpret evidence Has demonstrated use of suitable thinking strategies to generate, analyse and interpret evidence Has demonstrated use of suitable thinking strategies to generate, analyse and interpret evidence

Has shown some use of thinking strategies to generate, analyse and interpret evidence Has shown some use of thinking strategies to generate, analyse and interpret evidence Has shown some use of thinking strategies to generate, analyse and interpret evidence Has shown some use of thinking strategies to generate, analyse and interpret evidence

With assistance can use a limited range of thinking strategies to generate, analyse and interpret evidence With assistance can use a limited range of thinking strategies to generate, analyse and interpret evidence With assistance can use a limited range of thinking strategies to generate, analyse and interpret evidence With assistance can use a limited range of thinking strategies to generate, analyse and interpret evidence