Child Study and Classroom Based Observation
Should We Make Time To Watch and Listen?
Introduction
The traditional place for assessment within teaching is at the end of a topic or significant time period when the teacher wishes to know how much information students have retained. This form of assessment often takes the form of a written test that is designed to give students a grade or level.
Many researchers, however, believe that teaching and learning is a cyclical process that begins and ends with assessment:
Assessment is a tool that begins and ends successful teaching. At the beginning it establishes what is currently known and at the end it establishes what has been learnt as the result of the planned curriculum.
…show more content…
Qualitative data is not numerical and is more likely to take the form of observations or interviews. Obviously, it is very difficult to perform any statistical analysis on this kind of data. A further problem is that another researcher cannot replicate this data and therefore it is difficult to check the validity of what has been written. Researchers using this kind of data must be careful to avoid subjectivity, that is, they must avoid letting their personal beliefs or preferences affect the way they record and interpret the data. The advantage of this form of data collection is that it allows the researcher to answer open-ended questions; consequently, it is more flexible. Qualitative data also provides opportunities to explain the context of an observation and can therefore present a fuller picture (OU, 2001).
The data gathered in this child study is qualitative in nature. This was the best option because much of the information was collected in a free-play environment and it was felt that open-ended information gathering would provide a more accurate overall picture of the child in question.
The observations that have been made in this study are an example of formative assessment:
Formative assessment provides feedback to teachers and students of their current performance, achievements, strengths and weaknesses
Assessments are the way to find out if learning has actually taken place. Enabling us, as tutors, to see if objectives have been met.
Assessment is carried out to evaluate that learning has taken place. It measures the learner’s attainment of knowledge and skills in their particular learning area. Assessment encourages learners to ask questions on anything they have not fully understood, as learners know that they will have to prove their knowledge and understanding during assessment to the standards of the awarding body.
The term ‘formative assessment’ is used to describe the activities and processes used by teachers and learners to gather information that informs future teaching and learning. Assessment becomes formative if the information gathered is used as feedback to adapt and modify teaching and learning (Black and Wiliam, 1998, p.2). There are a variety of different methods and techniques that can be used by teachers and learners that can contribute to enhancing learner progress. These include
Formative assessment, or assessment for learning as it is often called, is the assessment that
A formative assessment provides informal feedback and information during the teaching process. This assessment measures student progress and performance thus allowing further improvement and development. It can also assess the teacher’s progress as an instructor, enabling the teacher to evaluate the effectiveness of their teaching methods.
Initial assessment can be described as set of procedures we go through to determine what previous experience, skills and abilities a learner has. The process may include skills scan screening for numeracy, literacy and language as well as learning styles and skills abilities, and recognise any prior R.P.L .The results of initial assessment should form individual learning plans so that training and support are delivered that will meet the needs of each learner .Formative assessment is the on-going assessment made in order to adapt to learners needs and respond to learning. Formative assessment helps you keep record of learner’s progress and
Assessment is one of the main resources of learning. It is key to understanding and developing for both teacher and learners. Here are the different methods of assessments and how I would use them in my organisation.
Assessment is a process through which we gauge a learners level and progression, ensuring learning is taking place and the learner is developing their skills and knowledge. Susan Wallace recognises the importance of assessment as more than a means of determining learner achievement but also “as an indicator of the quality of learning.” (2007: 119) discussing the need for ‘ongoing assessment’ to evaluate how receptive learners are to the lessons.
Assessment is often thought of as a punitive exercise. But the purpose of assessment is to ensure that students meet specific standards of progress and to rectify learning deficits before a child falls too far behind. Assessment can also identify a child's strengths as well as his or her weaknesses. As well as comparing the child's performance with his or her peers, the teacher can assess specific learning needs, learning styles, interests, aptitudes, and other critical components of the child's developing learning personality.
Formative assessment-Teachers that collect evidence about what a student still needs to comprehend and adaptions that are made to meet the student’s needs.
When a teacher introduces the idea of formative assessment to a classroom, modifications may need to be made for it to work its purpose. The teacher might need to alter their teaching method and the student will need to be open to changing their learning style to accommodate the change. If both the teacher and students can achieve this, then formative assessment will be successful (al., C. E., 2016). If unsuccessful then formative assessment can be seen by both the teacher and student in a negative light. For example, The Classroom Experiment (Barry, 2010), showcased a range of different formative assessment techniques that can be quite successful in the classroom. One technique that Dylan Wiliam posed was that the teachers give each student
Formative assessment takes place during learning and is aimed to help learning and teaching by giving appropriate feedback (Lewy, 1990). Nitko (1993) named two purposes of formative assessment: (a) selecting or modifying learning procedures, and (b) choose the best remedies for improving weak points in learning and teaching. Gattullo (2000) characterized formative assessment as “(a) it is an ongoing multi-phase process that is carried out on a daily basis through teacher–pupil interaction, (b) it provides feedback for immediate action, and (c) it aims at modifying teaching activities in order to improve learning processes and
Learning and development are both connected. The learner needs guidance to understand what it is they have to learn, if they are on track and how they may improve. Assessment is essential for this to happen. There will be observation, teaching one to one to assess
In article by J Dodge, “What are Formative Assessments and Why Should we Use Them? ” Dodge states that formative assessments help students “strive to understand what success looks like and use each assessment to try to understand how to do better the next time.” Dodge discusses that it is so important to take the time for formative assessment because it will make the teaching process so much more effective. In my classroom, I have observed a difference in lesson plans that have formative assessment built in and those that do not. The formative assessment can uncover a theme of where the gaps are for all of my learners.
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).