ASSESSMENT OF THINKING SKILLS

1. ASSESSMENT OF THINKING SKILLS Involving pupils in their own assessment

2. Starting points • HOW IS ”COGNITION” DEFINED? • WHAT ARE ”THINKING SKILLS”? - Cognitive functions; metacognitive functions - Processing information - Remembering - Constructing: assimilation, accomodation

3. Conception of Learning • Socio-constructivism, students’ active role • Learning is situational - importance of school culture and learning environment • Inclusive pedagogy • Balance between academic achievement and student welfare

4. How to support children with special needs? • Co-operation with parents • Assesment -Initial, continious, self- assesment, discussions • Support services - Health, physical, psychological and social well- being -Multi- professional network

5. 1. Background factors in learning • Previous knowledge • Abilities • Intelligence • Personality; concept of self as a learner • Family background • Learning environment; curriculum, teaching methods, subject, teacher, assessment methods

6. 2. Learning process • Strategies, learningstyles, ways of processing • Metacognition, being aware of own learning • Motivation, orientation

7. 3. Results of learning • Conception of the phenomena • Mental models • Skills • Achieving learner`s own goals • Working habits and working forms • Results of learning tasks • Grades, feedback

8. How does a child learn? • A child assesses which are the most important knowledge and skills and sets goals for his/herself. • A child learns by thinking, by experiencing, by investigating and by training • A child is contructing new knowledge and skills for his self. • When a child is choosing different kinds of acting models in different learning situations hi/ her learning can be called intentional and strategical • Being aware of own learning = metacognitive skills and knowledge

9. Consciousness of mental processes = 1. Metacognitive knowledge • Personal knowledge of self and others as learners and information dealers • Knowledge of different tasks and the effects of their features on performance and actions • Knowledge of different strategies and how they effect on achieving goals in learning (what, how, when and why)

10. 2. Metacognitive skills • Planning skills - setting goals - assessing of requirements - choosing procedures and acting models • Conducting skills - directing and regulating own actions • Assessing skills - checking, testing - assessing

11. 3. Metacognitive experiences • Individual sense and knowledge of - own actions - own intellectual competence - own ways of thinking - own strategies - own feelings

12. LEARNING THE STRATEGIES : INSTRUCTING THE CHILD FOLLOW UP HIS OWN WAY OF • understanding, • remembering, • learning, • problem solving, • keeping up his motivation and • regulating of emotions.

13. Annevirta, T. & Iiskala, T. (2003). Annevirta, T. & Vauras, M. (2006) ”Miten tukea oppilaiden metakognitiota luokkatyöskentelyssä? ” = ”How to support pupil`s metacognition in classroom?” (The Research Centre of Learning , University of Turku)