Assessment for Learning ( AfL )

1. Teacher’s Leading Learning Conference Assessment for Learning (AfL)

2. Learning Intentions • To be able to access appropriate resources • To understand reasons why researched evidence supports AfL • To understand various strategies that could be used to implement AfL practice Success Criteria • To commit to 1 different assessment tool (or start developing one) that you could use in your classes in 2013

3. KWL – Assessment for Learning What do we KNOW? What do we WANT to Know? What did we LEARN?

4. What is AfL Assessment for which the first priority is to serve the purpose of promoting pupils’ learning. It thus differs from assessment designed primarily to serve the purposes of accountability(reporting). An assessment activity can help learning if it provides information to be used as feedback, by teachers, and by their pupils, in assessing themselves and each other, to modify the teaching and learning activities in which they are engaged. Black et al., 2002

5. Why is this worth exploring? John Hattie Effect Sizes – Researched Evidence 1. Self reported grades(self assess) 1.44 4. Formative assessment 0.90 10. Feedback 0.75 21. Self verbalising and questioning 0.64 Why would self assessment be so effective? Why are some students successful in Drama, Music and Sport, but not in school?

6. Comparison – Rick Stiggins • AfL v Formative Assessment - Formative Assessment intends to inform the teachers about student achievement - AfLalso wants to inform students and teachers about their own learning. • AfL focuses on day-to-day progress in learning http://bibliotecadigital.academia.cl/bitstream/123456789/586/1/Rick%20Stiggins.pdf

7. Dr Anne Davies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8vUF90eZPs Making Classroom Assessment Work

8. Dylan Wiliam – 5 Key Strategies • Clarifying and understanding learning intentions and criteria for success • Engineering effective classroom discussions that elicit evidence of learning • Providing feedback that moves learners forward • Activating students as instructional resources for each other • Activating students as the owners of their own learning

9. Dylan Wiliam – 1 Big Idea • Use evidence about learning to adapt instruction to meet student needs

10. Dr John Gardiner http://www.connect2learningresources.com/assessment_for_learning_lr_tkl.html 2 Minute pause …

11. Effective Feedback (Nyquist, 2003) • Weaker feedback only • Knowledge of results (KoR) • Feedback only • KoR + clear goals or knowledge of correct results (KCR) • Weak formative assessment • KCR+ explanation (KCR+e) • Moderate formative assessment • (KCR+e) + specific actions for gap reduction • Strong formative assessment • (KCR+e) + activity

12. Strategies – within our subjects • How do we give feedback? • How can we involve students in the assessment process? • How can we encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning?

13. Dylan Wiliam – Practical Ideas • Feedback • Not giving complete solutions • ¾ of the way through a test • Only descriptive feedback … no letter grades (US Chemistry) • Only letter grade for students who reach the ‘A’ standard • Sharing learning intentions • Annotated examples of different standards to ‘flesh out’ assessment rubrics • Opportunities for students to design their own tests • Students as owners of their own learning • Traffic Lighting • Students as instructional resources for one another • Pre-flight checklist

14. Fleshing Out Assessment Rubrics Scenario – You are preparing students for verbal presentations (using IT) on successful entrepreneurs. In your assigned number spend 3-4 minutes coming up with some task specific things for your descriptor that you would look for in the A standard. C3 * Communicate business information using appropriate formats

15. Sample • Student designed standards Legal Studies Foundation

16. Group Work Expectations • How would you expect your students to participate effectively in a group?

17. Creating a simple mnemonic For group work in Business Studies • Cooperate • Organised • Respect • Productive

18. Traffic Lighting • Reviewing the syllabus • Using an exceltool to allow students to track their progress

19. Focusing on Descriptive Feedback • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zc67rq8XmtA

20. Plenary – end of lesson 1. Establish learning goal at the beginning 2. Ensure the students know what they have to do to be successful – success criteria 3. Have a way of checking that students have met this goal at the end of the lesson … • 10 Point Quiz • Exit Card • Whiteboards

21. Your Turn • Working with a partner or independently chose one of the ideas discussed that you could aim to trial in 2013 • If time try to start develop the assessment tool

22. Review • Common themes amongst the research • Make sure the students know what they are expected to learn (Learning Intentions) • Involve students in the assessment process to ensure they know how they can meet the standard (Success Criteria) • Teach them how to assess themselves (self assessment) • More Descriptive Feedback less Evaluative • Ensure that they can track their own progress

23. Final Thought What did we Learn? Use the whiteboards and markers to show 1 key thing that resonated with you to consider for 2013

24. Suggested links/reading Websites • http://www.dylanwiliam.net/ • http://annedavies.com/assessment_for_learning_tr_tjb.html • http://annedavies.com/ • Reading – Dylan Wiliam http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9780854737888?redirected=true&gclid=CM6E0ezMj7QCFQFBpgodHDcAqg Reading – Anne Davies http://connect2learning.com/making-classroom-assessment-work-3rd-edition