Leong, W.S., & Tan, K. (2014). What (more) can, and should, assessment do for learning? Observations from ‘successful learning context’ in Singapore. Curriculum Journal, 25 (4), 593−619.

Journal article link: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09585176.2014.970207#.VKdU6rkcRjo

Singapore has earned accolades as one of the leading education systems in the world, based on its record in international assessments, including TIMSS and PISA. This has contributed to the entrenchment of ‘assessment’ becoming an institutional authority of standards, teaching (performativity) and classroom learning. It is against, and amidst such contexts, that this article traces how the notion and discourse of formative assessment and Assessment for Learning (AfL) are widely introduced and used formally across all Singapore schools, particularly after a recent introduction of new ‘Holistic and Balanced Assessment’ policies. We argue that the very institutional authority of successful high-stake examination results, which served as critical standards of performativity of teaching and learning in the classroom, is being challenged. The changing assessment context of Singaporean schools therefore serves as an interesting case study site for studying how formative assessment and AfL can be adapted and understood when 'learning' is already seen to be successful.

Wong, H.M. (2014): I can assess myself: Singaporean primary students' and teachers' perceptions of students' self-assessment ability, Education 3-13: International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education, DOI: 10.1080/03004279.2014.982672

Student self-assessment engages the students in purposeful reflection about what they are learning and how they are learning it. This study investigated the perceptions of students and teachers towards the students’ self-assessment ability in two Singapore primary schools. A total of 75 students were taught how to use self-assessment. Eighteen students’ self-assessments were randomly selected and compared with an independent panel of teachers’ assessment. The results revealed both differences as well as similarities between the students’ and teachers’ perceptions of students’ self-assessment ability. The findings and the implications for students are discussed in concluding the article.

Leong, W.S. (2014). Knowing the intentions, meaning and context of classroom assessment: A case study of Singaporean teacher’s conception and practice. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 43, 70−78.

Journal article link: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191491X13000758

With the articulation of new ‘Holistic and Balanced Assessment’ initiatives in Singaporean schools, a new standard of conceptualising and enacting classroom assessment is expected of Singaporean teachers. This paper draws on findings from a larger study of ‘high-achieving’ Singaporean teachers’ deliberations and transactions of assessment activities. The use of case studies as a central methodology to investigate a contemporary phenomenon of education assessment extends the studies of conceptions and implementation of new classroom assessment practices in Anglophone and Western European countries. The findings from one of the ‘high-achieving’ case-study Singaporean teachers reveal that any quality assurance framework or guideline for evaluating teachers’ assessment practices needs to be sensitive to their intentions, meaning and context of teaching.

• Deneen, C. C. (2014). How good am I? Self-evaluation in an examination culture. In J. Curry & P. Hanstedt (Eds.) Reading Hong Kong reading ourselves (pp. 230-249). Hong Kong: City University of Hong Kong Press.

• Deneen, C. C. and Shroff R. (2014). Understanding Successes and Difficultiesin Program-Level Eportfolios: A Case Study of Two Professional Degree Programs, Review of Higher Education and Self-Learning, 7(24), 145-160.

• Shroff, R. Deneen, C. C., & Lim, C. P. (2014). Student ownership oflearning using e-portfolio for career development. Journal of information systems technology & planning 7(18), 75-90.

• Fulmer, G. W., Liang, L. L., & Liu, X. (in press). Applying a forceand motion learning progression over an extended grade span using the ForceConcept Inventory. International Journal of Science Education.

• Fulmer, G. W., & Polikoff, M. S. (in press). Tests of alignment among assessment, standards, and instruction using generalized linear model regression. Educational Assessment, Evaluation, & Accountability. DOI: 10.1007/s11092-014-9196-z

• "Learning to Love Assessment" The article by Carol Ann Tomlinson (some of you know her as the guru of Differentiated Curriculum) shares her insights on classroom assessment, summarised as 10 understandings of informative assessment. Tomlinson (2008) Learning to love assessment.pdf

• "What is meant by 'rigour' in examinations?" This paper by Isabel Nisbet was presented at the recent IAEA conference. The paper considers the development of the concept of“rigour”, noting in particular a recent shift from more negative to more positive connotations. It makes some observations about the application of “rigour” to curriculum, but deals mainly with its application to different aspects of assessment.3.1.3- What is meant by rigour in examinations.pdf