Syllabus Outcomes For Students And Teachers

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.

In 1989 a group of voluntary researchers named the Assessment Reform group (ARG) were formed by the British Educational Research Association (BERA). The group had the task to take account of relevant research and evidence in regards to assessment for policy and practice. In 1996 BERA’s support ceased and was taken over by the Nuffield Foundation till the ARG dissolved in 2010. It was in 1996 that the foundation funded Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam members of the ARG to review literature on the use of assessment to help with learning. As a result, evidence was found that ‘formative assessment’ could help to improve learning and the findings were published under the title ‘Inside the black box’. The ARG was one of significant influences on the design of Scotland’s Assessment is for Learning (AfiL) initiative which aimed to develop assessment in learning in Scottish schools. This essay will discuss and explore how effective formative assessment of pupils’ progression can be carried out.

Effective assessment will identify individual educational needs of all children as well as informing them about their specific performances and achievements, this will then allow teachers to use approaches that are personalised to the needs of a child. Assessment can be used not only to measure learning but also to promote learning by teaching pupils how to ask questions as well as answering them, by emphasising to a child that it is acceptable to ‘have a go’ and that by giving the wrong answer is still an opportunity to learn. It further provides the student with an understanding of what levels they are working at, what level they would like to working towards, and plan on how they are going to reach that level.

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.

Scotland re-evaluated assessment strategies which saw the Assessment is for learning (Aifl) initiative implemented in 2002 which aimed to improve children’s life chances through a more coherent system (Gov.scot, 2005). The revised system, A Framework for Assessment (BtC5), incorporates principles of Curriculum for Excellence (CFE) and the values of Aifl, which collectively aim to support pupil progression. Furthermore, they aim to build confident individuals and successful learners (Educationscotland.gov.uk, 2008) who are active participants in their own learning and set their own targets. However, ‘for this to be effective teachers need to build an intimate and detailed knowledge of their pupils’ thinking and assist them, with fairly specific advice and scaffolding, in achieving the next stage’ (Harris, 2007). Therefore, for formative assessment to effectively support learner attainment, teachers must have a detailed knowledge of pupil capability and support them progressively in developing their own metacognition.

According to the School curriculum and standards authority (2014) assessments should arise naturally out of teaching and intended learning developed from the curriculum and syllabus, the judgements made by educators assists in students ongoing learning (para. 1).

• Assessment as a process of making judgments of learners’ knowledge, skills and competence against set criteria

The function of assessment in learning and development is to provide a measurable way of planning and supporting students’ progress. Assessment is carried out by means of checks and tests carried out throughout the course. Assessors should provide feedback throughout ensuring that learning is occurring and the learner is at the correct level. It is also important that assessor’s decisions are also consistently reviewed and internally and externally verified.

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.

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 Assessment for Learning Strategy 2008 explains the importance of assessment in education. It aims to ensure every child is aware of their performance and how to improve allowing them to become independent initiators of their own learning and by informing parents and carers of assessment outcomes, children are also

In a way, the syllabus acts as an education identity of who the instructor is. The author states that be the warmth of the language and the strictness of certain course policies, it conveys how approachable and flexible they want to appear to their students (Nilson, 2007). It also gives an indication of how well they plan ahead and, more generally, how much they like structure. She also states that the presence or absence of assignments and activities that hold students accountable of the readings sheds light on whether the instructor lectures the reading in class, or doesn’t focus on the readings, or is simply naïve to student’s study habits (Nilson, 2007). The author recommends that we use the words empowerment and learner centered than lecture, know, learn, and understand (Nilson, 2007).

The practice of summative assessment is something which has been prominent for a long while in mainstream education and teachers, students and the school as a whole are judged upon this achievement (Black et al, 2003). Whilst my initial perception of assessment tied into this idea of summative assessment, being the testing, ranking and grouping of students accordingly, it was this process which to begin with was invaluable in my planning as I could not gather understanding of ability from many other sources(Steinberg and Kincheloe, 2006). Trotter (2006) views correlate to my experience in that he suggests previous assessment results serve as a substantial benchmark for “student’s performance” and can be valuable to planning lessons accordingly.

Assessments provide learners opportunities to develop mastery of their ideas, skills and competencies, whilst educators use assessment tasks as both teaching and learning tools (Spiller, 2009:6 & 7).

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,