Supporting Learning Through Peer and Self-Assessment
Assessment is usually something we view as the job of the teacher. While it is true that the teacher designs and directs assessment, our assumptions about assessment also point us to the role that students can play in the...
Formative Assessment
When you hear the word “assessment”, most likely your first thoughts are about tests, exams and projects that form the content of your gradebook. However, if we view assessment as a critical part of the learning process,...
Gathering Evidence of Learning
When designing assessment, it is helpful for teachers to think like detectives. Once you have clarified your learning goals and articulated some essential questions, ask yourself this provocative question: If understanding the...
Essential Questions
In my previous post, I suggested an approach to designing assessment that begins by focusing on the learning goals. Learning goals, or content standards, tend to be expressed in “teacher speak”. That is, they describe the...
Designing Assessment
If we hold to the assumptions about assessment that I outlined in my previous post, then it is clear that assessment needs to be carefully designed in light of the whole learning process. I find the “backwards design” approach...
Assessment: What are your Assumptions?
Over the next few weeks, I am planning to create a series of posts on the topic of assessment. Assessment is a complex and controversial topic, so I thought it would be most helpful to begin by addressing our assumptions about...