Good teaching and learning means employing assessment for learning principles
Assessment for learning is explored in greater depth in Chapter 6 of Successful Futures but it is as relevant to good teaching and learning as it is to assessment. An assessment for learning approach provides practitioners with insight into the effectiveness of learning and involves providing regular and meaningful feedback and adapting teaching and materials to meet the needs of individuals. It also helps learners raise standards and nurture ambition: learning can be particularly powerful when learners are given feedback that helps them to think through the issues and provides them with guidance on next steps. Similarly, peer collaboration and feedback can provide a safe environment to articulate and test ideas.
Dylan Wiliam has suggested that effective teacher assessment can ‘double’ the rate of learning – that is, if implemented appropriately it could result in learners making what had previously been one year’s progress within six months. According to Wiliam, implementation of assessment for learning strategies is relatively straightforward; the challenge is to change practitioner behaviour to embed assessment for learning practices consistently into classroom practice.
“Most discussions of assessment start in the wrong place. The most important assessment that goes on in a school isn’t done to students but goes on inside students. Every student walks around with a picture of what is acceptable, what is good enough. Each time he works on something he looks at it and assesses it. Is this good enough? Do I feel comfortable handing this in? Does it meet my standards? Changing assessment at this level should be the most important assessment goal of every school. How do we get inside students’ heads and turn up the knob that regulates quality and effort” (P103 in Ron Berger's ‘An Ethic of Excellence’)
Ron Berger, Chief Academic Officer at EL Education (formerly Expeditionary Learning) demonstrates the transformational power of models, critique, and descriptive feedback to improve student work. Here he tells the story of Austin's Butterfly. 1st grade students at ANSER Charter School in Boise, ID, helped Austin take a scientific illustration of a butterfly through multiple drafts toward a high-quality final product.
Austin's Butterfly - highly recommended video to share with colleagues, students and parents to explore the impact of high quality, focused feedback on improving learning.