2.0 Learning And Assessment ( Final )

In this paper I will critically reflect on the teaching and learning cycle I engaged in to improve my assessment of student learning. I focussed on assessment due to its potential to improve instructional design and student performance (Brookhart, 2007, cited in Wiliam, 2011, p.8; William and Thompson, 2007, cited in Dixon & Worrell, 2016, p.155). The teaching and learning cycle led me to identify areas of

Assessment plays a significant role in the learning experience of students. It determines their progression through their programmes and enables them to demonstrate that they have achieved the intended learning outcomes. It is assessment that provides the main basis for public recognition of achievement, through the awarding of qualifications and/or credit.

Assessment, both formative and summative, plays a significant part in the learning experience as it determines progression and enables learners to demonstrate that they have achieved their desired learning outcomes.

Through the identification of these assessment methods, I will analyse their purpose and the role that they play in my learner’s development; and how these are used to identify learner progress and confirm their knowledge and understanding. I will explore theories and principals of assessment, covering formative and

What is an assessment? Alan Rogers (1994, p172) defines assessment as collection of data on which we base our evaluation. According to Reece and Walker (2008, p5) assessment consists of tests and observations that we, as tutor, use to determine how well the students has achieved the objectives. Geoff Petty (2004, p449) writes that “Assessment measures the breadth and depth of learning”. Assessments are used in all areas and domain of everyday life, whether formal or informal, ranging from taking a written or practical driving test to claims for income support or acquiring life insurance on-line.

Assessment is carried out to ensure that learning has taken place. This is used to measures the learner’s knowledge and skills in their chosen area of learning. Assessment can be used to encourage learners to ask questions on anything they have not understood, learners at some point will have to know that they will have to prove their knowledge and understanding to the standards of the awarding body.

Effective assessment practice can positively impact student learning by encouraging positive attitudes towards learning. It can prevent student disengagement and loss of motivation both of which can begin a spiral into states like failure avoidance and negative emotions about school and learning such as anxiety, described by Martin (2007 pp 413-440) as maladaptive behavioural and cognitive dimensions.

“Assessment focuses on the learners’ performance. It is about measuring achievement, both ongoing (formative) and at the end of the programme (summative).” Wallace. S (2007: 118)

This section of this essay critically evaluates the use of two different assessment activities used to check the learning of students. This will be done by considering the key strengths and weakness of each type of assessment will also be considered, as well as, the Validity; Reliability; Sufficiency; Authenticity and Relevance of each assessment method.

The goal of educational assessment is to record, evaluate and enable improved student learning. The monitoring of student work, through developing understanding of key subject concepts and their achievement of syllabus objectives requires comparison against outcomes and standards. These outcomes and standards help define the criteria which is considered essential and relevant for assessment. Through correct implementation, integration, and reliability and validity, all forms of assessment should enable improved student learning when teaching is targeted towards syllabus outcomes, objectives and through highlighting gaps in student knowledge.

My next goal was to explore Marzano’s position on assessments. I have incorporated and valued Marzano’s research in my previous TEAM papers because he cites a significant amount of data pertaining to the direct effects on student improvement. Therefore, I next read Robert J. Marzno’s book, Classroom Assessment & Grading that Work.

There are many approaches that are better than written tests for assessing learning – and, crucially, they do not penalize learners who struggle with academic exams

Educators can utilise assessment to determine what learners bring into a learning cycle so as to develop instruction tailored to learner’s requirements and to build on existing knowledge and skills (Spiller, 2009:6 & 7). This diagnostic purpose can be further used to determine if learners require further instruction and to assess if learners are prepared for the next stage (Dreyer, 2014:7).

Informal assessment allows students to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways which can benefit all students. It can include group or individual projects, presentations, essays, experiments, or demonstrations. Each of these can allow for “knowledge that transfers from one situation to another [which] is based on students’ abilities to understand central principles, see connections and make distinctions, and be strategic in attacking problems and analyzing information” (Darling-Hammond, p. 285). A variety of assessment methods allow for this to happen and for students to use their personal strengths to demonstrate understanding of the information. “Research into students’ preferences for alternative assessments shows that the assessments that have been positively evaluated by students were more authentic and thus made learning more realistic and powerful” (as cited in Brown, Irving, Peterson, and Hirschfeld, 2009, p. 99). Students should be able to think creatively and take hold of their own education and learning because they must ideally be prepared for a rapidly changing society where they must be able to adapt and formulate their own solutions. Teachers are able to provide feedback to the children so they know what was done effectively and what needs to be modified. Rather than teachers pressuring students to show understanding through a single examination, they will have opportunities to confidently demonstrate knowledge with less

One of the most critical aspects of the education system is the assessment of pupils learning. Biggs & Tang (2011) determine that “assessment is the senior partner in the instructional process. Get it wrong, and everything else collapses” (page 195-7). Assessment is one of the most important aspects of teaching and learning, it ensures that student learning is checked and conclusions are made, to put it simply, assessment shows how well pupils have learned what they were supposed to, and it is the only feasible way to check if learning outcomes have been achieved or not. Throughout this essay I will be evaluating the purpose of assessment and how it effects pupils in our schools, I will be addressing the impact of pressure on performance,