Cambridge Lower Secondary

Assessment guidance for Cambridge Lower

Secondary Computing

Purposes for assessment

Whenever we decide to assess learners, we need to be clear about why we are doing so. Why we assess
learners (our selected purposes) will influence how and when we choose to do this. Here are two purposes for
assessing Lower Secondary learners.

1. Assessment to give information about current learning and to inform next steps
This type of assessment should happen every day during classroom activities. Whenever learners
demonstrate their current learning you can use this information to give them feedback and to inform your
next steps for them and the class.

The aim of this type of assessment is to uncover what a learner, or group of learners, currently knows,
understands, or can or cannot do. This allows you, as the teacher, to give timely and specific feedback to
help them improve. It will also inform next steps (for example, it will help you to decide whether to spend
more time on a learning objective, to go back to prior learning or to move on).

When this is the main purpose of an assessment, it is important to retain details rather than summarise
information as a single grade. For example, if a learner is to improve, it is much more useful to say
‘remember to try changing your search term in order to gather a wider range of views on this topic’ than to
say ‘your search did not produce useful results’ or ‘you did that at a Grade B level’.

These informal, regular assessments are very important because you can make ongoing changes to
maximise progress during the learning process, rather than waiting until the end of a period of study.
Using assessments in this way can be called Assessment for Learning (AfL), formative assessment or
using assessment formatively. You can find information and advice on this process in Section 5 of the
Cambridge Lower Secondary Computing Teacher Guide.

2. Assessment to summarise achievement over a period of learning to give a grade

This type of assessment happens towards the end of a period of study (for example, a topic of study,
term, semester or stage). It aims to provide a summary that describes how well a learner has mastered
the knowledge, concepts and skills described in the learning objectives they have been learning over that
period.

The summary is often a grade which describes a level of performance. Common examples of grades
include bronze / silver / gold; working towards expected standard / at expected standard / above expected
standard; and letters or numbers.

The grade given can be used to compare a learner’s overall performance in different subjects or to
compare the performance of learners in different classes, stages or schools. For example, Cambridge
Lower Secondary Checkpoint for English, English as a Second Language, Mathematics, Science and
Global Perspectives all provide a grade or standardised score. Assessments used in this way can be
called summative assessments.

Although many Cambridge Lower Secondary subjects have a Cambridge Lower Secondary Checkpoint, there
is no Cambridge Lower Secondary Checkpoint for Digital Literacy. This document provides guidance on other
ways to assess Cambridge Lower Secondary Computing.

Assessment guidance for Cambridge Lower Secondary Computing 1

 Activities that can be used for assessing Computing
It is a common misconception that different activities are used for different types of assessment. Often the
same activities can provide information which you can use for your intended assessment purpose (i.e. to give
information on current learning and to inform next steps, or to summarise achievement over a period of
learning).

When deciding what activities and tasks to use to assess your learners in Cambridge Lower Secondary
Computing, you may wish to note the following points:

 Your learners will show what they know, understand and can do in different ways. Some assessments
can be based on what learners write or say in response to questions (for example, in group discussions).
But in Lower Secondary Computing some of the most relevant evidence will be what learners
demonstrate through the production of algorithms, using flowcharts and pseudocode, and through using a
text-based programming language.
 Give your learners the opportunity to perform tasks that reflect their age and attainment. The suggested
activities in the schemes of work give suggestions of age-appropriate activities, although you can
substitute these for other activities. Opportunities for assessing Lower Secondary Computing include
when learners:
o produce and edit algorithms, using flowcharts and pseudocode
o edit, create and test programs using a text-based programming language
o explain the use of data simulation and analysis tools, and evaluate the data that is included in data
models
o explain how data is broken down and transferred between devices, both wirelessly and through
cables
o discuss the impacts of augmented reality, simulators and artificial intelligence in a range of familiar
and unfamiliar contexts.
 Learners should have the opportunity to consider the role of technology in a range of contexts. They will
consider the hardware and software requirements for each context, and the benefits and risks from
different perspectives. You can choose how many of these examples you wish to assess.
 A single piece of work or activity is unlikely to cover all of the learning objectives although it may cover
learning from more than one. Aim to build a more comprehensive representation of learners’ knowledge
by looking at learners’ work and interactions in a range of contexts and through a range of activities.
 Seek to identify whether a learner can consistently achieve a learning objective over a period of time
rather than focusing on a single piece of work.
 It can be very powerful to involve learners in identifying their progress and next steps. In Lower
Secondary Computing you can use a portfolio of algorithms, programs, data models and other outputs to
record the process a learner used to improve their knowledge or skills as well as to identify how their
knowledge and skills progressed.

Assessment guidance for Cambridge Lower Secondary Computing 2

 Recording achievement
We strongly recommend that you agree an approach within your school which means that records are simple,
quick and easy to keep and maintain. Extensive, frequent record keeping can easily distract you from more
important classroom activities.

The learning objectives in the curriculum framework provide a structure against which learners’ knowledge,
understanding and skills development can be checked. One possible approach for checking progress against
the learning objectives is:

Working towards the learning At standard of learning Above standard of learning

objective objective objective

Learners can apply some, but
not all, of the knowledge,
understanding and/or skills
described in the learning
objective in limited contexts
only.
Learners can apply the
knowledge, understanding
and/or skills described in the
learning objective in some
contexts, especially familiar
and simple contexts.
Learners can apply the
knowledge, understanding and
skills described in the learning
objective in a wide range of
contexts, including unfamiliar
and complex contexts.

Learners may demonstrate Learners may start to

some of the knowledge, demonstrate some of the
understanding and/or skills knowledge, understanding
described in the learning and/or skills described in the
objectives for a lower stage. learning objectives for a higher
stage.

A possible method for recording progress based on this approach is described below.

Have a look at this description of a Stage 9 learner.

When Rohana leaves school she wants to own an online shop selling gardening equipment and wants to
present her passion to her class. She wants her peers to understand how to create a stock taking system.

She produced a well-designed spreadsheet that used IF, MIN, MAX and COUNT functions to analyse her
stock data. She also created a set of data to capture her customers’ usernames and logins. She
demonstrated the importance of string manipulation when using databases and when developing text-based
programs.

However, Amy was only able to offer one algorithm solution when she presented to the class. There are
many other solutions that she now needs to consider in order to get the best output.

Here is an example with learning objectives from the Computational Thinking, Programming and
Managing Data strands. It records whether this learner is working towards, at, or above the standard of
each learning objective.

Computational Thinking Working towards /

At / Above
9CT.08 Compare and contrast algorithms designed for the same task to determine Working towards
which is best suited to the purpose expected standard

Assessment guidance for Cambridge Lower Secondary Computing 3

 Programming Working towards /
At / Above
9Pr.05 Know how to develop text-based programs using string manipulation, At expected standard
including length, upper case, and lower case.
9Pr.06 Use iterative development on a software prototype to produce a solution to a At expected standard
problem.

Managing Data Working towards /

At / Above
9MD.02 Know how to use functions in spreadsheets to analyse data, including Above expected
if, min, max, count standard

Giving feedback to learners

Your records can be used to give feedback to learners. For example, you can discuss with a learner their
progress towards particular learning objectives and what they need to do to improve further. This is particularly
important if your purpose for assessment is to give information about current learning and next steps.

You can find more information on giving feedback in Section 5.5 of the Cambridge Lower Secondary
Computing Teacher Guide.

Assessment guidance for Cambridge Lower Secondary Computing 4

 Reporting results
This section applies anyone who is responsible for deciding the reporting strategy for their school or subject.

Consider these different styles of reports and their accompanying strengths and weaknesses.

Report 1: a summary statement for the subject

Computing At expected standard.

Report 1 is simple to understand and makes it easy to compare a learner’s attainment between subjects. It is
likely that this style of report will require limited record keeping by teachers. However, there is not enough
information to indicate how an individual learner might make progress.

Report 2: a summary statement for the subject and a comment

Computing At expected standard. Demonstrates a clear understanding of
computer technology, algorithms and
text-based programming languages. Aim
to develop a more systematic approach
when identifying and correcting
programming errors in order to produce a
more professional output.

Report 2 is similar to Report 1 but the additional comment lets teachers give some feedback on how to
progress further.

Report 3: a summary statement for each curriculum strand

Digital Literacy At expected standard.
Computational Thinking Working towards expected standard.
Programming At expected standard.
Managing Data At expected standard.
Networks and Digital Communication At expected standard.
Computer Systems Above expected standard.

Report 3 is still simple to understand but might require more time for teachers to complete than Reports 1 or 2.
It allows learners, and their parents, to identify strengths and areas for improvement within a subject as well as
compare between subjects.

Report 4: a summary statement for every learning objective (excerpt)

Networks and Digital Communication
8DC.01 Identify types of network, including PAN, LAN, At expected standard.
WAN.
8DC.02 Describe the use and characteristics of copper Above expected standard.
cables and fibre optic cables to transmit data.
8DC.03 Describe the advantages and disadvantages of At expected standard.
wired and wireless networks, including performance and
security aspects.
8DC.04 Describe how echo check can be used to Working towards expected

Assessment guidance for Cambridge Lower Secondary Computing 5

 detect errors in transmission. standard.
8DC.05 Explain the role and the importance of a firewall Working towards expected
in a network. standard.
8DC.06 Explain the use of antivirus and antispyware to At expected standard.
keep data secure on a network.

Report 4 is a much more detailed and extensive document as it lists every learning objective. This level of
detail can be confusing for non-specialists to understand (i.e. parents) but can help identify particular areas of
strength and areas for improvement.

You can choose to use different styles of reports at different times of the year. For example, you could use
Report 2 at the end of Terms 1 and 2. Then you could have a fuller report in the style of Report 3 at the end of
the school year.

Whichever type of report you choose to use, it is important that it provides value to learners and parents. It is
also important that it does not take too much time for teachers to produce. Teachers can also get value from
monitoring the progress of a class by identifying areas that their current class needs more time on, and ways
to improve their teaching for future classes.

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Assessment guidance for Cambridge Lower Secondary Computing 6