School Based Assessment for Learning: A Report

School Based Assessment for Learning : A Report

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A small-scale study was conducted in observing the impact of School Based Assesment

on students’ learning processes. The School Based Assessment method here takes example from

the SBAfL concept that is currently being considered as a solution to Brunei education system in

light of a student-centred and less examination oriented education. The sample group involved in

this study comprised of female students from Year 8 Level, 12 to 14 years old, with a bell-curve

pattern English proficiency spectrum. The school is a government school (name withheld).

Using assessment checklists and rubrics prepared by the teacher, the students assess their

own learning progress by means or peer of self assessment with guidance from the rubrics. The

study was conducted in two weeks and was aligned with a newly proposed E2L learning system

called ‘Learning with Modules’. The study specifically focused on the easiest module, an

introductory to sentence structures.

Upon completion of the duration of the study, bearing in mind that the module itself is

still ongoing, it was found that students were more engaged in their learning in terms of

motivation and participation. It was observed that students utilized self-reflection more than

before now that time is being allocated to do so in the classroom with proper tangible guidance.

Overall, the students were able to work with rubrics and assessment checklists and were

quite pleased with the formative assessment knowledge that they gained after, giving them a

measurement of where they are in terms of their capacity in the topic being learnt.

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CONTENT PAGE

DECLARATION i

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1

CONTENT 2

1. INTRODUCTION 4

1.1 Background 4

1.2 Purpose 5

1.3 Area of Study 6

1.4 Context of Study 6

1.5 Scope and Limitations 7

2. METHODOLOGY 9

2.1 Instruments and Materials 9

2.1.1 Assessment Rubrics 9

2.1.2 Assessment Leaflets 10

2.1.3 Dictionary with Word-class keys 11

2.1.4 Outline of the Module 11

2.1.5 Formal Assessment 12

2.1.6 Evaluation Feedback Form 12

2.1.7 Specialised Lesson Plans 12

2.2 Sampling 13

2.3 Timescale 14

2.4 Methods 15

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3. DISCUSSIONS 17

3.1 General Findings 17

3.1.1 Students’ Reactions Towards Rubrics 17

3.1.2 Teacher’s Comments on Rubrics in Lessons 18

3.2 Student Peer Assessment 19

3.3 Student Self Assessment 20

4. CONCLUSION 21

BIBLIOGRAPHY 22

APPENDICES 23

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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

On 19th, 20th May and on the 29th and 2nd of June 2010, I attended the first half sessions of

the SBAfL workshop as one of its participants from the English Language group. During the

sessions, the participants were initially introduced to the concepts of SBAfL, with agenda that

included among others, its implementation in regions of similar learning contexts to that of

Brunei, several case studies on the usage and significance of rubrics – consequently peer and self

assessment and reflection, and discussions on the application of these concepts to each

participant’s teaching based on their respective students’ needs.

As a closure for the first half sessions, and acting as the prerequisite for the second half

sessions which will take place a few weeks after this report has been written, participants of the

aforesaid workshop were instructed to perform a small-scale experiment which involved the

usage of rubrics and self or peer assessments in one’s teaching, ultimately providing evidence

that would juxtapose self or peer assessments against school-based assessment for learning

(SBAfL).

.

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1.2 Purpose

The purpose of this study is two-pronged and intertwined, with one representing the area

of study and the other a hidden agendum in determining the effectiveness of school-based

assessment, via self and peer assessment using rubrics, in learning:

1. Conducting an experiment on the effectiveness of a bottom-up sequentially tiered

modules system in gradually introducing students towards the concepts of the English

Language.

2. Utilising rubrics and self/ peer assessment methods in determining the effects of the

modules system aforementioned on students’ learning.

Nonetheless, this report specifically puts emphasis on the latter as the former has fallen

beyond the timescale expected – thus continuing to be studied until a point in time whereby data

is sufficiently collected has been determined. This has little implication towards the efficacy of

the study performed as the latter has been executed and its findings analysed, and presented as

this report progresses.

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1.3 Area of Study

I have opted to experiment with the knowledge gained from the SBAfL workshop on a

topic based on the first module of my modules system. The module is titled ‘Introduction to

Sentence Structures’, and the rationale for using this topic as a platform for experimentation is

because of its simplicity and isolation from other components of the language which expectedly

would confuse a majority of students during their first spell with assessment materials. Further

details of this study is elaborated in Chapter 2, whereby the processes that were undertaken prior

to and during the study are described under their respective sub-sections

1.4 Context of Study

The study was conducted in a government school (name withheld) that ranks as a top-tier

in relation to exam achievements. The school follows a streaming system that is guided by

applicants’ attainment in core subjects English Language, Bahasa Melayu, Maths and, to some

extent, Science. The target group chosen, regarded as the sample in Section 2.2, is in the median

of the streaming spectrum. The target group is further described in detail in Section 2.2.

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I, the teacher and researcher, is a non-native ESL teacher assigned to teach English

Language to the target group and also acts as the form teacher, having access to students’

background.

In terms of research ethics, this study was conducted with knowledge that the data

collected would not be a separate entity from the actual scheme of work and curriculum. Thus,

this report merely acts as a written document in portraying the learning progress of the students.

Any personal information thereof will not be presented.

1.5 Scope and Limitations

Since this study is conducted on a small scale and with limiting variables that transpired,

several factors were taken into consideration to ensure that the study would generate data that

could be regarded as a microcosm of the learning processes that usually occur in greater lengths.

Thus, the study only took into account the first few modules of the modules system, inasmuch as

the assessment materials that were employed were constructed in tandem with the simplicity that

the modules system aims to portray, ignoring other aspects of the English Language taught.

However, the modules system itself in forethought was constructed to minimize and isolate

diminutive concepts of the language for the sake of learning clarity.

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The scope of this study therefore falls within one module of the modules system, which is

on the topic of ‘Introduction to Sentence Structures’. Under this umbrella topic, several basic and

watered-down components of English were introduced, which included 1) SV and SVO type

sentence structures, and 2) Introduction to Word Classes: Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs and

Prepositions. Contamination by other components of the language was minimized due to

students working on word and phrase levels. Hence, this study did not assess and did not use

assessment materials that fell beyond the topic concerned.

With regards to limitations, several variables were identified and consequently modified

to fit with the purpose of the study without compensating students’ learning needs.

The study is non-longitudinal but was made as a small initial part of a longitudinal

study.

Bite-sized topics were used to minimize cognitive overload when tasked with

assessment aids.

Peer and self assessments were introduced in the later stages to allow for initial

digestion of the topic being taught.

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2. METHODOLOGY

2.1 Instruments and Materials

For this study, several instruments were created to allow for the usage of rubrics and self

and peer assessment activities in the classroom. These instruments, collectively called

‘assessment materials, was constructed in accordance with the key features highlighted during

the workshop as well as the students’ needs. Several other materials were prepared for the study,

and ultimately formed the collection described below. Samples and copies of these materials are

attached in the Appendices and noted in the respective sub sections.

2.1.1. Assessment Rubrics

The assessment rubrics utilized in this report were constructed with the main objective of

allowing students to assume full control of what they have learned and how far they know of

what they have learned. Thus, the rubrics acted as guidelines whereby students could identify

where they stood in terms of their proficiency on the topic concerned. The structure of the rubric

mimicked the traits of rubrics commonly used in assessing students work in national exams;

known as bands.

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For this study, two versions of rubrics were prepared. The first version (see Appendix A)

consisted of concise rubrics each complementing an assessment leaflet (either peer or self). The

rationale behind having these mini rubrics is to allow for students to gain feedback directly after

the completion of a lesson. Due to the concise nature of these leaflets, students were expected to

take less time in reflecting on their learning. In addition, these rubrics were used to provide

formative assumptions that would help construct the next lesson.

The second version (see Appendix B) consisted of one comprehensively structured rubric

that would take into account information gained from the all the concise rubrics. The sole

purpose of having this rubric is to allow for formative assessment that would structure future

modules, as opposed to future lessons. It is expected that students would spend more time in

reflecting on where they stand in terms of their proficiency in the whole module.

2.1.2. Peer and self assessment leaflets

Assessment leaflets were created with the intention of aiding in peer and self

assessments. These leaflets were constructed on the need for clarity, practically and simplicity,

and took into its design ideas that were brainstormed and shared during the SBAfL workshop.

These included using checklists akin to a Likert scale input, with an open ended comment

enquiry to allow for reflection. An assessment leaflet was designed for each lesson, with lessons

either incorporating a self assessment or a peer assessment activity (see Appendix C).

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2.1.3. Dictionary with word-class keys

As the teacher, I assume that in order for the students to be able to assess themselves, the

knowledge that they gained must be owned by them. One way to optimize the role of the

students as their own teachers was to have dictionaries as an academic item of reference. The

nature of the topic involved identifying word classes, which should be adequately facilitated by

dictionaries having word-class keys in their word entries (see Appendix D).

With the presence of a dictionary, students were able to reflect on the words that they

have personally opted to present in their exercise answers, and consequently would be able to

decide there and then how much they have satisfied the criteria enquired in the assessment

leaflets.

2.1.4. Outline of the ‘Introduction to Sentence Structure’ note sheet

The’Introduction to Sentence Structure’ module is the first module in the Learning With

Modules System, an English Language learning system that will be simulated as an experimental

study in 2011 on Year 7 students of the school (name withheld). The outline of this module is

made accessible to students via printout (see Appendix E)

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2.1.5. Formal Assessment

A formal assessment worksheet was created to offer an opportunity for formative and

summative reflection of the lessons experienced in sequence (see Appendix F). This assessment

worksheet is complemented with the 2nd version of the assessment rubrics (as mentioned in

2.1.1). The formal assessment aimed to assess what students have learned throughout the module

and how the self and peer assessment leaflets had impacted on their learning.

2.1.6. Evaluation feedback form

A feedback form, similar to a survey, has been prepared. However, the module is yet to

be completed and this feedback form will only be utilized after students enter a second module.

The feedback form aims in determining the effects of using self and peer assessment in

monitoring and improving a student’s learning progress.

2.1.7. Specialised lesson plans

With regards to lesson planning, the inclusion of rubrics and assessment leaflets in a trial

setting really warranted the need for detailed lesson plans, as opposed to the current lesson plan

format that I am familiar with. These lesson plans, coined Specialised Lesson Plans, helped in

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asserting assessment as an integral component of the lesson itself and not one of a set of

objectives as what was usually done previously.

2.2 Sampling

The sampling method used is group sampling, mainly determined by the classes that I

teach. The main sample, akin to a target group, consists of 21 female students within the age

range of 12 to 14. The class is currently streamed in a Year 7 normal stream and Students come

from various background with 3 differing levels of language usage, ‘Sangat Selalu’ (Always),

‘Selalu’ (Often), and ‘Kadang-Kadang (Occasionally) as revealed by the recent personal forms

administered by the Ministry of Education. The language proficiency exhibits a bell-curve

pattern, and lessons had been conducted with differentiated instruction.

A different group of students, a Year 8 class that consists of 22 female students within the

age range of 13 to 14, was also given involvement; acting as a control group to gain a different

perspective of the study. This group concurrently experienced similar lesson contents but with

the usage of rubrics and self / peer assessment materials omitted. However, it is safe to note that

this group was meant to act only as a control group to ensure that data attained from this study

has not been contaminated by factors contributing from the topic being taught.

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2.3 Timescale

The administration of this study on the ‘target group’ was performed within the expanse

of two weeks. Below is a comprehensive table of the study arranged chronologically.

Day Module and Info Subject matter Activity (-ies) Assessment method

1 29th June 2010Introduction to Sentence Structure

1 hour lesson

Basic sentence structures (SV, SVO)

Construct five S-V phrases and five S-V-O phrases

Construct five phrases, each with a main verb.

Peer assessmentusing:

- Checklist on a simple rubric

- Dictionary to confirm correct verbs usage

2 30th June 2010Introduction to Sentence Structure

1 ½ hour lesson

Other sentence structure types (SV, SVO, SVOA, SVOC)

Word classes

Making verb phrases

4 basic verb rules- Past tense in narrative compo- To + infinitive- Modal + infinitive- Operator + infinitive

Write a compo of at least 80 words on the topic “The Most Recent Party I Attended”. Students show understanding via sentence construction and following the 4 basic verb rules, consequently labeling their presence in the compo.

Self assessmentusing:


3 3rd July 2010Introduction to Sentence Structure: Adjectives

1 hour lesson

Adjective rule on adjective sequencing

Construct twenty adjectival phrases

Peer assessment using:


- Dictionary to confirm correct adjectives usage

4 6th July 2010 Identifying Construct ten Peer assessment

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Introduction to Sentence Structure : Prepositions

1 hour lesson

prepositions of time, location, motion and state.

sentences each with a prepositional phrase

using:


- Dictionary to confirm correct preposition usage

5 13th July 2010Introduction to Sentence Structure

Trial assessment of Day#1 – 4 learning

Identify and classify words into respective word classes, guided by a ‘sentence structure’ template.

Self assessment using:

- Checklist on success criteria

6 14th July 2010Introduction to Sentence Structure: Adjective and Adverbs

1 ½ hour lesson

Identifying adjectives and adverbs

Location of adjectives and adverbs in sentence structures

Identify ten adjectives and ten adverbs from the dictionary

Self assessment

Table 2.1 Time-scale of the Modules System

2.4 Methods

The methods employed during the process of this study stressed the need to maintain the

teacher’s and students’ workload in the processes of planning, execution and reflection to be on a

par, if not lighter, than the current workload the teacher and students have to perform. Therefore,

the two-week study was initially drafted as one that could be feasibly completed within a week,

yet was stretched into twice the duration to allow a more calculated learning experience from the

students’ part.

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The methods for each lesson are elaborated in the Specialised lesson plans (see Appendix

H). In brief, each lesson incorporated a similar workflow in hopes of students gaining familiarity

towards learning via means of a module. The flow for each lesson was divided sequentially as

follows:

Introduction to the lesson objective

o Visually in written display

o Verbally in a brief description of definition and function

Note-taking

o Characteristics of the topic of the lesson

o Examples of the topic out of and in context (modeling)

Short cognitively light exercises

o Students providing their own examples

Distribution of assessment leaflets

o Students self or peer assess, with the dictionary as academic guidance

In essence, completing the assessment leaflets act as a closure activity, and ample time of

around 10 minutes were given at the end of every lesson to ensure that reflections assessments

were both enriching and manageable.

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3. DISCUSSIONS

Prior to the introduction of using rubrics and assessment leaflets to students, the only

instances where rubrics were used this year were from the teacher’s part in marking students’

work and to a certain extent, for the perusal of the teacher in determining students’ level of

ability and in providing feedback. The findings of this study are expressed below. It is paramount

that we exercise caution in analyzing the information attained from these assessment materials as

I note that analyses were not guided by any particular data analysis methods, relying mainly on

surface level observations of similarities and differences in patterns of assessment.

3.1. General Findings

3.1.1 Students’ Reactions toward Rubrics

Initially, when the 1st version rubric for the first lesson was introduced, students were

unfamiliar with the purpose that it served. However, due to the concise nature of the rubric,

students were able to relate the brief statements present in the rubric with the events in the lesson

as complementary elements.

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On the first day, the rubric was distributed at the end of the lesson alongside the

assessment leaflet and their purpose was explained briefly. In contrast, on the second day, the

rubric was distributed at the beginning of the lesson, and was found to have aided the students in

understanding what was demanded of them. The rubric henceforth became a guideline to the

lessons and crucially re-addressed the written objectives displayed on the whiteboard. After

exercises were completed, the rubric was then used by students in guiding them in filling the

assessment leaflets.

From observation in the classroom and the scrutinizing of students’ work, it can be

concluded that the rubrics helped minimized students from veering off topic and off task.

Moreover, the rubric allowed students to take the role of teachers, particularly in peer

assessment, where weaker students sought the help of more able peers.

3.1.2. Teacher’s Comments on Rubrics in Lessons

The first observation made after the introduction of rubrics in the lesson was that students

were quickly engaged in their task. The rubric, being new to the students, acted as an

‘anticipatory set’ that enticed interest. However, it is predicted that in future lessons, especially

when rubrics become overused and habitual, it may cause stagnation from some. Perhaps,

differentiating the layout and format of the rubric, even experimenting with different mediums

such as paper and online forms, might prolong the ‘shelf-life’ of the rubric method.

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Another observation that was noted was that during certain timeframes in a lesson, the

rubric wholly took the role as the facilitator of task, with the students becoming self-reliant and

the teacher only attending to a few misinterpretations of the rubric.

3.2. Student Peer Assessment

To begin with, the target group is quite familiar and had been groomed in the skills of

peer correction. Like a double-edged sword, students tend to confuse peer assessment as peer

correction. However, eventually, students began to focus and even engage with the most

important measuring instrumentation in the leaflet, which was the comment section. The leaflets

employed the ‘2 stars 1 wish’ approach that was mentioned and shared during the SBAfL

workshop. Due to the low-stake nature of the lessons, the process of providing comments for

their peers was cognitively light.

On average, one student was able to assess their peers in approximately less than 3

minutes. It was found that several comments were similar to each other and these were regarded

as the shared weaknesses and strengths of the group that provide invaluable information for the

lesson that comes after. Several of these universal comments can be classified as listed below,

with my conclusions of them in emphasized italics.

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Vocabulary used could be more interesting (common words showed lack of

attempt to impress, which might entail attempts in composition writing)

Some words are repeated (evidence of a small vocabulary pool)

Mistakes in spelling (showed no referring with a present dictionary)

3.3. Student Self Assessment

The self-assessment done by students were interesting quite similar to peer assessment.

Several hypotheses as to why these occurred included the similar leaflet formats employed in

both self and peer assessment, and the abilities of most students were not far off from one

another.

One notable difference was in the atmosphere of students assessing themselves. In self

assessment, students looked engaged in their rubrics and were evidently reflecting on where they

stood in the rubric, while in peer assessment a few bickering ensued and a few were tense on

being assessed by their peers.

In terms of the quality of comments and reflection, the employment of both self and peer

assessment in tandem helped in covering the disadvantages of using either.

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5. CONCLUSION

If this study had a research question, its main query would be on “how beneficial would

the use of rubric and self/ peer assessment leaflets in learning and measuring students’ progress”.

As the small-scale study stands, it is too early to conclude a definite response. However, from

observation and the analyses of the assessment materials, nuances of its benefits can be accepted

as evidently practical to be sustained as an integral component of a student’s learning progress.

The study indicated that rubrics and assessment leaflets add to the dynamics of learning

inasmuch as promoting student-centrism and ownership of the learning process itself. On the

other hand, it also revealed that in order for students and teachers to reap the benefits of SBAfL,

other factors have to be transitioned into this practice; and pedagogies, schemes of work and

curricula are all constructed in such manners that would allow room for students to

1. Easily keep track of their progress

2. Easily reflect on their strengths and weaknesses

3. Easily use the knowledge from their reflection in determining concepts of the language

that they are most proficient in and take advantage of them, while simultaneously revise

on their weaknesses

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4. Easily arrive on formative assumption of their learning progress to prepare for the

opportunities in using them both in academic context and in everyday pursuits.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Angrage, H. G. (2000) Using rubrics to promote thinking and learning. Educational Leadership,

57 (5).

Goodrich, H. (1997) Understanding rubrics. Educational Leadership, 54 (4).

Mertler, C. A. (2001). Designing scoring rubrics for your classroom. Practical Assessment,

Research & Evaluation, 7(25). Retrieved July 8, 2005 from http://PAREonline.net/getvn.asp?

v=7&n=25

Moskal, B. M. (2000). Scoring rubrics: what, when and how?. Practical Assessment, Research &

Evaluation, 7(3). Retrieved September 6, 2005 from http://PAREonline.net/getvn.asp?v=7&n=3

Suthers, D., Toth, E., and Weiner, A. (1997, December). An integrated approach to

implementing collaborative inquiry in the classroom. In Proceedings of the 2nd International

Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL'97) pp. 272-279. Toronto.

Webb, N. (1989). Peer interaction and learning in small groups. International Journal of

Education Research,13:21-40.

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School Based Assessment for Learning: A Report

Education

assessment rubrics

peer of self assessment

schoolbased assessment

assessment materials

assessment checklists

formal assessment

assessment leaflets

student peer assessment