Using Ongoing Assessment Methods

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

Questioning is a method of testing knowledge by asking the learner a series of questions related to the performance criteria. It is important that the assessor plans the questions beforehand, ensuring that open questions are used, and identifies the means of recording them, whether it be written; voice recorded or videoed. Questioning can be a very useful assessment method used alongside other methods. With observation, in particular, ‘what if’ questions can be used for evidence that might be hard to obtain, for example.

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.

Some people believe that exams are an inappropriate way of measuring students’ performance and should be replaced by continuous assessment. Do you agree or disagree?

Assessment is carried out through formative (checks throughout the course), ipsative (to test against previous marks), and/ or summative (at end of course) activities to help the learner see their development whilst allowing the Assessor to give valuable feedback when appropriate. It’s purpose is to measure the learners understanding of the subject against the anticipated outcomes set by the criteria.

The class teachers’ main role is to monitor and assess pupils’ achievement. They need to be aware of the progression made by all the children in their class and be able to report back to both the parents and other staff. As a Teaching assistant my main role is to support the class teacher whilst this ongoing assessment of pupils takes place. The teacher can measure the progress of each pupil by carrying out lessons and setting the children clear objectives. At the start of each lesson so that the children are clear about the objectives the class teacher writes

Although this is primarily for younger children this idea can be used straight through life-long learning. Assessment enables the teacher to see what objectives have been met and what still needs to be addressed. This is often called formative assessment or assessment for learning. ‘Assessment for Learning is the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners ad their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to go there’ (Assessment Reform Group, 2002).

| Enables the candidate to take ownership of their achievements and reflective practice. Candidate needs to be conversant with the assessment criteria so that they record they record the most relevant information.

Observations can be taken during lessons or in the playground, they record what the child is doing in a subjective way. They can be formal or informal. Informal observations are what we carry out every day as we work with pupils. Over time we are able to build up a picture of the pupil, and can report back to the teacher at the end of teaching sessions. Although this is a good way of monitoring development there is disadvantages because feedback to certain information may be forgotten because it is not written

“Summative assessments are used to measure what students have learnt at the end of a unit, to promote students, to ensure they have met required standards on the way to earning certification for school completion or to enter certain occupations, or as a method for selecting students for entry into further education” (CERI, n.d). In other words, summative assessment is assessment of learning.

This is a written assessment of my view on recording an individual pupil’s behaviour throughout a school day. I will be referring to attendance, internal testing, behaviour etc.

Identify the contributions made by each of the following individuals to psychological and educational assessment: Alfred Binet, J. McKeen Cattell, Francis Galton, Hermann Rorschach, Charles Spearman, Lewis Terman, Edward Thorndike, Robert Woodworth, and E. K. Strong, Jr.

Summative assessments show the overall effectiveness of a course instruction. The objective of this assessment is to assess student’s competencies through an entire school year. This assessment shapes how teachers organize their course of instruction, usually given at the end of a course to evaluate student’s progression (Swearingen, 2002). This type of assessment can be facilitated through computer-based exams. Standardize tests like the ACT and SAT in South Carolina are national board exams that tests student’s strengths and weakness in particular subject areas, to provide data for teachers to understand student’s deficiencies. These tests also give the overall result of the effectiveness of an academic program to ensure proficient learning is properly implemented. Summative assessments are to provide teachers with the necessary information to comprehend student learning that is relative to content standards. However, there are ways that technology facilitates these ongoing assessments through concepts and instructional approaches.

Formative assessments such as checks on learning are a good way for me to monitor my student’s progress through the lesson, as it assesses the student as their learning is in “formation.” I can continue to monitor their progress and modify my lessons to match their needs and alter course or reinforce specific areas my assessment highlights. I also like formative assessments as it is low stakes throughout the process, so it does not put pressure on the student’s, alleviating their fear or stress that they might feel otherwise.

In schools, there are two major modes of assessment that are given to students. The first mode is formative assessment which involves an on-going day-to-day process that involves various techniques such as observing student performance, oral questioning, and self and peer assessment. The second mode of assessment is summative assessment which is typically given at the end of a term or school year. Its purpose is to give information about what the students have accomplished within a certain period of time (Education Bureau, 2013). With summative assessment, there are two major methods of administrating assessments. The first method, the pencil-and-paper test, has been used for many years and is the most commonly used. This method involves test takers reading questions that are on paper and responding in writing. The second method, the computer-based test, is a newer method that has increased in use more recently with the advent of better computer technology. Computer-based testing involves any type of assessment that is completed using a computer (Ahluwalia, 2008).