Assessment of learning or assessment for learning?

1. M-LANG projectRef. n. 2014-1-NO01-KA200-000425Interactive Exchange Workshop on how to use response systems and ICT tools for creating interactive learning Patras, Greece26/9/2016 – 30/9/2016 Assessment of learning or assessment for learning? Various ways to use response systems and ICT tools in formative and summative evaluation • Facilitators: TUCEP – Italy • HCC - Greece The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi­ble for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

2. Purposeofthe session Exchange practices on formative and summativeevaluation at transnationallevel Explore the useofresponsesystems and ICT tools in formative and summativeevaluation Buildnew and sharedknowledgeabouthowto use responsesystems and ICT toolsfor formative and summative evaluation

3. Structureof the session • Brainstorming and briefintroductionto share purposes and maindefinition. (Intro 15 minutes). 2. Work in groupsaccordingtospecifictasksrelatedto: • evaluationofknowledgethroughresponsesystems and ICT tools • responsetoolsforself and peerassessment • responsesystems and ICT toolsforteacherassessment • responsesystems and ICT tools in assessmentoflearning • responsesystems and ICT tools in assessmentforlearning • Sharing the resultsofworkgroups and the differentexperiences and methodsused at nationallevel. (Sharingresults 45 minutes)

4. Culture ofevaluation Whatcomesintoyour mind whenyoulisten the word EVALUATION? • Which is the objectofevaluation? • Whyweevaluate? • Howtodefinecriteriaforevaluation? • Whentoevaluate? • What difficulties do you face in the process of assessing your students? • How ICT may contribute?

5. Maindefinitions ASSESSMENT ASSESSMENT is the systematic collection of data to monitor the success of a program or course in achieving intended learning outcomes for students. Assessment is used to determine: • What students have learned (outcome) • The way they learned the material (process) • Their approach to learning before, during, or after the program or course

6. Maindefinitions FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT The goal of formative assessment is to monitor student learningto provide ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors to improve their teaching and by students to improve their learning. More specifically, formative assessments: • help students identify their strengths and weaknesses and target areas that need work; • help teachers recognize where students are struggling and address problems immediately. Formative assessments are generally low stakes, which means that they have low or no point value. Examples of formative assessments include asking students to: • draw a concept map in class to represent their understanding of a topic; • submit one or two sentences identifying the main point of a lecture; • turn in a research proposal for early feedback.

7. Maindefinitions SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT The goal of summative assessment is to evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against some standard or benchmark. Summative assessments are often high stakes, which means that they have a high point value. Examples of summative assessments include: • a midterm exam • a final project • a paper • a senior recital Information from summative assessments can be used formatively when students or faculty use it to guide their efforts and activities in subsequent courses.

8. Maindefinitions PEER AND SELF-ASSESSMENT Peer assessment, or self-assessment, is a process whereby students or their peers grade assignments or tests based on a teacher’s benchmarks. The practice is employed to save teachers time and improve students' understanding of course materials as well as improve their metacognitive skills. Peer and self-assessment can encourage students to take greater responsibility for their learning, for example, by encouraging engagement with assessment criteria and reflection of their own performance and that of their peers. Through this, students can learn from their previous mistakes, identify their strengths and weaknesses and learn to target their learning accordingly. Getting students to become more active in their learning in this way can help to alter the perception of learning as being a passive process whereby students listen to you and absorb the information in order to regurgitate during a subsequent assignment.

9. Maindefinitions TEACHING ASSESSMENT Teacher evaluation is a process aimed to measure the effectiveness of each teacher. The core purpose of this process should be also to strengthen the knowledge, skills, dispositions, and classroom practices of professional educators. Comprehensive systems of continuous teacher education and professional growth help teachers master content, refine their teaching skills, critically analyze their own performance and their students’ performance, and implement the changes needed to improve teaching and learning. Comprehensive performance assessment systems provide targeted support, assistance, and professional growth opportunities based on teachers’ individual needs as well as the needs of their students, schools, and communities.

10. Maindefinitions ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING The purpose of this kind of assessment is usually SUMMATIVEand is mostly done at the end of a task, unit of work etc. It is designed to provide evidence of achievement to parents, other educators, the students themselves and sometimes to outside groups (e.g., employers, other educational institutions). Assessment of Learning is the assessment that becomes public and results in statements or symbols about how well students are learning. It often contributes to pivotal decisions that will affect students’ futures. It is important, then, that the underlying logic and measurement of assessment of learning effective and credible.

11. Maindefinitions ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING Assessment for Learning happens during the learning, often more than once, rather than at the end. Students understand exactly what they are to learn, what is expected of them and are given feedback and advice on how to improve their work. In Assessment for Learning, teachers use assessment as an investigable tool to find out as much as they can about what their students know and can do, and what confusions, preconceptions, or gaps they might have. The wide variety of information that teachers collect about students’ learning processes provides the basis for determining what they need to do next to move student learning forward. It provides the basis for providing descriptive feedback for students and deciding on groupings, instructional strategies, and resources.

12. For a common framework The value of formative assessment in the learning process to: • provide students with constructive feedback, • foster student retention and success by engaging students in their own learning process, • focus their attention on what really matters, • help them develop metacognitive skills that improve their ability to effectively apply learning strategies, • help instructors adjust to learners' needs in real time. Research has shown that formative assessment is particularly helpful to low-achieving students and students with learning disabilities.

13. For a common framework Classroom assessment techniques (CATs) are brief activities to collect classroom data to gauge student understanding or some other aspect of the learning experience. They are a powerful formative assessment tool that: • creates a reciprocal feedback relation between teacher and students, better defining learners' needs and lead to teaching adjustments, • enhance peer learning, • increase active involvement in learning, • promote metacognitive development, • increase cooperation and a sense of the classroom as a "learning community" / peer learning even in larger classes • increase student satisfaction, • may improve course completion rates.

14. For a common framework • CATs that can easily call for multiple choice questions or that could easily be transformed into multiple choice questions. • Instructors and students benefit most from CATs when they are used to generate class discussion and when they are part of a complete classroom assessment project cycle. Therefore it is on this perspective that the questions must be carefully formed and addressed in a way so as to generate discussions and active participation & learning.