"Clearly this shift in instructional design requires a corresponding shift in assessment practices. For students, assessment becomes less focused on documenting what has and has not been learned and more focused on charting the learning journey for continued success." Bennett & Armstrong
Informative assessment guides every part of the learning process. Deep, lasting learning is achieved when a transparent and equitable approach to assessment is used. Active involvement of learners in the assessment process connects them with their learning and fosters reflection and a drive to learn more. Providing multiple and varied ways for learners to demonstrate learning and make their thinking visible allows for continuous, ongoing feedback.
How is assessment used to inform the learning process for educators, parents and students?
✅A shared understanding of assessment for, as and of learning is built
✅Quality evidence of learning is determined collaboratively across grades, courses and pathways to determine student learning needs
✅Collaborative development of assessment tools and practices supports consistency of practice in and between grades, divisions departments and course
✅Ongoing, descriptive feedback is collaborative analyzed to provide information about student learning and to identify next steps
✅Self assessment is used throughout the school as a skill connected to higher order processes such as metacognition and self regulation
✅Student learning is regularly documented to inform educator and student next steps
✅A variety of UDL assessment strategies and tools identified by the district/school are used to improve and provide next steps in learning
✅Timely, explicit and constructive feedback related to learning goals and success criteria is descriptive rather than evaluative and extends thinking
✅Opportunities for students to provide quality feedback to classmates, educators and themselves are planned and occur
✅Learning goals and success criteria are used consistently to scaffold student learning and provide descriptive feedback
✅Using co-constructed success criteria, opportunities are planned for students to practise self and peer assessment
✅All communication about assessment is personalized, clear, precise and meaningful
✅Give feedback to their teachers regarding their engagement and learning
✅Use feedback to refine their work, plan next steps and monitor their own progress
✅Use descriptive feedback, based on the success criteria to review and refine their documentation of learning
✅Provide accurate, constructive and descriptive feedback to themselves, their classmates, and educators
✅Use learning goals and success criteria to assess and improve their own learning
✅Participates in the collection and development of personal documentation of learning that assist in formation the next steps in their learning
✅Engage in learning conversations and discussion with educators and peers that elicit evidence of understanding
Use this sketchnote as an entry point for learners as they begin to explore Informative Assessment. A possible activity is to have them see what they:
Ministry of Education Monograph:Pedagogical Documentation Revisited
Ministry of Education Monograph: Student Self Assessment
A Guide to Documenting Learning