Welcome

1. Welcome Welcome Learning objective: Knowledge of formative evaluation

2. Test and examinations Tests and examinations are a classic way of measuring student progress in higher education. OECD: To be truly effective, assessment should also be formative

3. Definitions Definitions Cowie and Bell, 1996 Formative assessment or evaluation is the process used by teachers and students to recognise and respond to students learning in order to enhance that learning, during the learning. But there are other definitions. Modify students work to make it more effective.

4. Improve student learning Action taken to improve student learning Involves both professors and students Notion of feedback

5. Key elements Key elements Identification of learning goals Rich conversations Timely feedback Involvement in own learning. Professors modifing teaching approach(es)

6. Formative assessment highly effective Formative assessment has been shown to be highly effective General gains in academic achievement High gains for underachieving students Learning improved Quality of students work Peer-assessment Self-assessment Learning strategies Changed culture

7. Teachers Teachers: Understand cultural preconceptions Interact frequently Involve students in the assessment process Tools to judge the quality of own work More transparent learning proces Communicating learning goals Tracking student progress Adjusting goals Comments are more effective [Results found by OECD]

8. Black and William Black and Wiliam They concluded that efforts to strengthen formative assessment produce significant learning gains as measured by comparing the average improvements in the test scores of the students involved in the innovation with the range of scores found for typical groups of students on the same tests. Formative assessment apparently helping low-achieving students, including students with learning disabilities, even more than it helped other students

9. Define assessment Black and Wiliam defined assessment broadly: All activities that teachers and students undertake to get information that can be used diagnostically to alter teaching and learning. Use information to make adjustments Reteaching Alternative approaches More practice

10. Feedback Feedback given as part of formative assessment helps learners become aware of any gaps that exist between their desired goal and their current knowledge, understanding, or skill and guides them through actions necessary to obtain the goal (Ramaprasad, 1983; Sadler, 1989).

11. Helps support Formative assessment helps support the expectation that all students can learn to high levels and counteracts the cycle in which students attribute poor performance to lack of ability and therefore become discouraged and unwilling to invest in further learning (Ames, 1992; Vispoel & Austin, 1995). Students can also play an important role in formative assessment through self-evaluation. (Fontana & Fernandes, 1994; Frederikson & White, 1997)

12. Sadler (1989) • Sadler (1989): • recognise goals • 2. provide evidence • 3. close the gap

13. Self-monitoring Self-monitoring is a key component Harlen and James (1996): "...students have to be active in their own learning (teachers cannot learn for them) and unless they come to understand their own strengths and weaknesses, and how they might deal with them, they will not make progress."

14. Student motivation Student motivation is crucial to learning. The greatest motivational from: The qualities - not on comparisons with other students Specific ways to improve Improvements already made

15. To summarise 5 points to summarise Formative evaluation: 1. Involves learning goals 2. Helps students to understand standards 3. Helps students to take responsibility for their own learning 4. Provides feedback and helps students to recognise next steps and how to take them 5. Builds confidence for improving

16. The End The End Thank you Palle Qvist http://www.plan.aau.dk/~palle