Formative e-assessment in primary schools Juliet Sizmur National Foundation for Educational Research UK
Feb 23, 2016
Formative e-assessment in primary schools
Juliet SizmurNational Foundation for Educational Research
UK
Contents
Conceptio
n
Realisatio
n
Integration
A formative e-assessment for primary schools
Conclusions
Background
Assessment in England (for the last 20 yrs)
Statutory National tests for 11 year olds• Reading• Writing• Maths• Science (till summer 2009; 2010 national sampling)
• Supported by politicians and public• Less so by the assessment academics
and the teaching profession
Formative Assessment / Assessment for learning
Assessment for Learning is the process of seeking and interpreting evidence
for use by learners and their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to get there.
(ARG 2002)
http://www.assessment-reform-group.org/CIE3.PDFhttp://www.assessment-reform-group.org/publications.html
Formative assessment for learning…
1. is part of effective planning
2. focuses on how students learn
3. is central to classroom practice
www.assessment-reform-group.org/images/Principles for website.doc
Formative assessment for learning…
4. is a key professional skill
5. has an emotional impact
6. affects learner motivation
www.assessment-reform-group.org/images/Principles for website.doc
Formative assessment for learning…
7. promotes commitment to learning goals and assessment criteria
8. helps learners know how to improve
9. encourages self-assessment
10.recognises all achievementswww.assessment-reform-group.org/images/Principles for website.doc
What is i-nfer plan?
Currently most assessment data is used to report to external parties. NFER believes that this data should be used to make a difference in the classroom.i-nfer plan is a formative e-assessment package that helps implement Assessment for Learning (AfL)
AfL
Conception
The challenge would be to develop an automated system which gave feedback that was accurate and fine-grained enough actually to be of practical use to teachers in planning teaching and grouping children
Decisions and specifications
• Not high stakes• Support teaching and learning by giving
focused feedback• Curriculum-based: reading, mathematics,
science• Curriculum topics• Before-and-after structure
Assessment purposesand processes
Summative Formative
Formal Tests and examinations i-nfer plan
Informal Portfolios Classroom assessment
What does it look like?
• i-nfer plan is made up of short, regular e-assessments (Challenges)• All tests are marked instantly with reports available on-line• Extensive summative reporting including levels, age standardised
scores and progress measures is provided …• provides practical descriptive formative reporting helping teachers
to make a difference in the classroom
Realisation
Development process
• Test specification• Question generation• Think-aloud trials• Technology development• Large-scale trials• Analysis
– IRT leading to scale scores– Latent class analysis
Progression of thinking skills
• Knowledge (of basic mechanics/terms/tools - remembering)
• Comprehension (demonstrating knowledge or understanding)
• Application (using the knowledge or understanding)
• Analysis (eliciting and answering own questions; making connections)
• Synthesis (using a range of sources; forming an overview)
• Evaluation (critical review and reflection)
(Based on Bloom’s Taxonomy of knowledge acquisition skills)
Reading topics covered
Ages 5-7 Ages 7-9 Ages 9-11
Stories Stories Stories
Fables Playscripts Playscripts
Traditional tales Poetry Poetry
Information (2 units) Newspapers Biography
Poetry Information (website) Persuasion
Early reading Letters Explanation (website)
Mathematics topics covered
Ages 5-7 Ages 7-9 Ages 9-11
Number Number and shape Models for calculation
Calculations Fractions and decimals Fractions
Money Handling data Decimals
Measures Shape and space Algebra
Data handling Base ten Angles and rotation
Shape and space Proportions Position and movement
Science topics covered
Ages 5-7 Ages 7-9 Ages 9-11
Ourselves Magnets and Springs Interdependence and Adaptation
Green plants Characteristics of Materials Life Cycles
Animals in the environment Electricity Changing State
Sorting materials Solids, Liquids and Gases
Reversible and Irreversible Changes
Forces Growing Things How we see things
Electricity How Plants Grow Earth Sun and Moon
Demonstration 1– Reading challenge– Ages 7-9– Playscripts
Demonstration 2– Reporting website
SupportingAssessment for Learning
• Feedback is the central idea of Assessment for Learning
• Assessment information can be elicited in many different ways, formal and informal
• Profiles give feedback about strengths and weaknesses in words, not numbers
• Suggested grouping for teaching• Next steps suggestions can be built into
teaching plans• Child-speak profiles can support self
assessment
Example profile:‘child-speak’ version
Well done for completing the Reading Challenge. You are a Reasoning reader. Here are some of the things that the challenge showed about you as a reader:• You have a good understanding of what you read and
know how plays are presented.• You are quite good at understanding what different
characters are like.• You could take a little more time to think about what
characters might be thinking and why. • You are ready to look more closely at how the author
conveys character by making them behave or speak in certain ways, and how you are able to work out their thoughts and feelings.
What does i-nfer plan help teachers to do?
i-nfer plan helps teachers to:• Integrate Assessment for Learning• Personalise learning• Support teacher assessment
-By-• Knowing where pupils are• Knowing what to do about it• Knowing whether it has worked …
Integration
Follow-up research
• Every school had a ‘champion’ who believed in the value of e-assessment and knew about the product
One teacher, one subject, one class
All teachers, all subjects, all classes
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Case study:assessment for learning and e-assessment
• Explaining learning intentions• Identifying the ‘gaps’ in children’s learning• Planning teaching to build on the
strengths and fill the gaps• Giving feedback
Explaining learning intentions
Identifying the gaps
For a baseline assessment in September, when you want to get the assessment done as soon as possible, so you know your next steps … just the quickness of it has been really helpful.
Year 5 teacher
Planning teaching
[These three children] all came out with the same profile. So you can look at that and group them together and say right, as a group, these children need to be working on this area. Can we do that through guided reading? Yes we can.
Year 5 teacher
Using feedback
‘I think that’s myself …’
Can a formal e-assessmentsupport formative assessment?
Tests do not have the immediacy of spontaneous classroom interaction, but …– Give the same information for each child– Give a well-informed starting point for
observations and discussions– Give teachers a shared language– Children say they aid concentration– Have sometimes given teachers surprises
Conclusions
Is it a ‘quick fix’ that preventsteachers from developing skills?
Not in the schools we have visited, perhaps because …– Decision to adopt i-nfer plan is part of
thorough review of assessment policy– It is not particularly quick!– Descriptive feedback almost compels
teachers to give attention to children’s learning
Formative e-assessment
• can be used successfully to support learning in the classroom
• the crucial factor is how the results are used
• continuous dialogue and reflection improves motivation AND results
33
Assessment for learning:recent UK research
• Focus has shifted:– from demonstrating that AfL is a good thing– to looking in detail at how to bring about
change in pedagogy• Threats
– Mechanistic application of techniques rather than real understanding
– Fails to penetrate to all teachers
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Thank you
Department for Research inAssessment and Measurement
National Foundation for Educational Researchin England and Wales
www.nfer.ac.uk
Some useful websites
Assessment Reform Grouphttp://www.assessment-reform-group.org/CIE3.PDFwww.assessment-reform-group.org/images/Principles for website.dochttp://www.assessment-reform-group.org/publications.html
I-nferhttp://www.i-nfer.co.uk/
AAIA - for some practical guidance (eg Managing AfL)http://www.aaia.org.uk/publication/