By Dr. Berrisford Lewis
Recently, I was speaking with a friend about assessment and in the conversation she said why don't you write about your thoughts on this and you you do in your coaching and teaching. Here are my current thoughts. If you feel I can improve on this I'll be happy to hear from you.
Assessment is the process of using a diverse range of methods and tools to evaluate, measure, document learners progress, achievements and skills acquisition. Assessments are crucial because they help in identifying strengths and areas for learners to improve. This means we can offer learners better support to achieve their dreams, to flourish and shine. Assessments are important too because they can make a significant difference in enhancing learner’s performance and accomplishment. However, improving learners’ performance also means you need to invest in your own educational development.
As you might already be aware there are different types of assessments and instructors need to choose the methods and tools which appeal to and are relevant to their subject area. And which is comparable with your institutional culture. In any event, it might be useful to embrace a range of assessment methods and tools on a continuous basis to maximise the learning experience and achievements of your learners.
Assessments can be classified under various heading and here, I will focus on the three types of assessments I most commonly use. First, is the diagnostic assessment which is concerned with pre-assessments to access learners’ strengths, current knowledge and areas for improvement before the start of a course. This approach focuses on establishing readiness for studying as well as identifying areas of learning difficulties (Orlich, et al. 2010). Over the years of teaching I subscribe to the philosophy which states that one should start where your students are on their learning journey. And the diagnostic assessment helps me to establish where students are and how to move them up different learning gradients.
Recently, I was working with a group of learners and during the diagnostic assessment it became clear that more than half of the learners had not been in formal education for at least the past 10 years. Naturally, these learners had serious concerns about their abilities to perform on the course and were worried.In this case, it was possible to address these concerns by working out a plan for and with learners to address their concerns. This encourage learners to give their input and to engage with the learning process in a more meaningful and responsible way.
Second, is formative assessments which take place frequently throughout a course, giving learners regular feedback about how they can improve. This approach is useful because it allows learners to see where they are now and how they are currently doing and to identify strategies for themselves to come to terms with their learning. This is relevant also because it enables learners and instructors to plan more effectively for the next and future teaching sessions.
Before, during and after my teaching I am constantly checking in with learners to see where they are and how we can move forward together. Crucially, using this approach allows me to catch problems early. This means I can take remedial steps before it is too late by course correcting along the way. For me, this makes sense because I get feedback from learners on my teaching practice and that means it is possible to make critical adjustment and engage more creatively with the learning and teaching process.
For more information on formative assessment which is also known as learning for assessment see Paul Black and Dylan William, Inside The Black Box: Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment.
Third, summative assessments focus on measuring learners’ achievements at the end of the course with an examination or test of some sort. This is concerned with determining learners’ achievement in relation to the intended learning outcomes and objectives. I find this approach works best in combination with the previous two assessment types. As Orlich et al (2010) observe one way of enhancing learners’ achievement is using a range of assessments and tools throughout a course. Using a variety of assessment methods and tools allow me to take a more playful and creative approach to teaching and learning where learners are happier to experiment, take calculated risks, make mistakes and learn to self-correct as they progress. Ultimately, combining all three approaches directly result in potential higher levels of achievement and progress for students.
In summary, I attempted to show that there are a number of assessment methods and tools and teachers should choose the best method for their subject. Using a range of assessment methods and tools throughout a course of study are likely to provide learners with the best opportunity to grow, achieve and progress in their learning and future career.
References
Orlich, D. et al. [2010] Teaching Strategies. A guide to Effective Instructions (9th edition) Wadsworth: Boston.
Ouyang, R. [2019] Assessment in Education. Salem Press Encyclopaedia of Health.
