ICT supported

Assessment for Learning

Mary-Anne Murphy
ROTORUA 2011

Intentions of this
session...
To explore the following questions...
What are our understandings of "Assessment for
Learning"?
What ICT's/Technologies are available to support
Assessment for Learning practices?
How can these ICTs be utilised in a pedagogically
sound manner?

EXPLORING OUR MENTAL

MODELS AROUND
ASSESSMENT...
"Mental models are deeply ingrained

assumptions, generalizations, or even

pictures or images that influence how we
understand the world and how we take
action"
The Fifth Discipline Peter Senge. (p. 8).
A chosen set of beliefs and method to

interpret a given context; usually

underpinned by a less-conscious paradigm
or worldview
www.tetradian.com/Glossary

If we are to explore the images

we have in our minds around
assessment, what might they
look like and how might they
be placed in relation to each
other?

Draw assessment
What does assessment look
like to you?

Dialogue around our Mental Models of

Assessment

Speaker

Questio
ner &
Notetak
er

The speaker will speak uninterrupted around their drawing whilst the other
listens and takes notes of key words.
The questioner will then ask questions regarding what the person spoke about,
in an effort to clarify or deepen their thinking. The questioner will also add
anything else to their notes as this is happening.

Lets explore our words.

What are you noticing?
What categories are starting to emerge?

Assessment
From Latin: to sit beside
How does this definition link with your ideas?

Characteristics of Effective
Assessment
Benefits
students
Involves
students
Supports
teaching and
learning goals
Is planned and
communicated
Is suited to the
purpose
Is valid and
fair

What do you understand by

these terms?

Assessment FOR Learning

and

Assessment OF Learning.
How do your words/categories
relate to these concepts?
Share your thinking with a

So what is
Assessment for Learning?

Lets hear from Dylan Wiliam who

was one of the co-authors of
Inside the Black Box.

The characteristics of assessment that promote

learning are that it:

Is embedded in a view of teaching and learning of

which it is an essential part;
Involves sharing learning goals with pupils;
Aims to help pupils to know and to recognise the
standards they are aiming at;
Involves pupils in self-assessment;
Provides feedback which leads to pupils recognising
their next steps and how to take them;
Is underpinned by confidence that every pupil can
improve;
Involves both teacher and pupils reviewing and
reflecting on assessment data.
Assessment for learning Beyond the black Box, ARG, 1999

Some of the ways the characteristics can be achieved...

Having high
expectations
for learners
Knowing
progressions of
learning of subject
matter and skills
Provision of feedback
that identifies
achievement and
determines next steps in
learning.

Dialogue and questioning

in order to develop
metacognitive skills.
Learning and thinking talk
in the classroom.

The use of student

self and peer
assessment practices

Identify students
current achievement
through observation,
questioning, formal
and informal testing.

How might I
create
opportunities
that will enable
students to be
actively involved
in their own
learning?

Selecting examples of quality work

to exemplify expectations and coconstructing progress with
students.

Teachers and students clearly

identify the intended learning
outcomes for achievement.

Co-construction of criteria that

describe the successful
achievement of learning.

Planning for Learning. Making

decisions about relevant and
motivating learning tasks that engage
the learner.

Adapted from Harlen: Principals of Assessment for Learning

Key questions to ask your

students...
1.
2.
3.
4.

What do you think you are learning?

Why do you think you are learning this?
How will you know you have learnt it?
What do you think you need to do now to get better at /
improve your learning in?
5. How do you think you learn?
6. So what happens at school that helps you to learn? (I
noticed your teacher x, why do you think they did this?)
7. How do the comments your teacher makes about your
learning help you?
8. When you are learning, how do you think talking about
your learning helps you to think?
What aspects of Formative Assessment do you
consider each

To what extent do
you address these
aspects within your
current classroom
practice?
Discuss.

So how might ICT support

Formative Assessment
practices.
Lets explore some options...
Scenario 1. You are wanting students to peer
feedback around a piece of written
language.(Yourdraft.)
Scenario 2. You have junior students who are
at a pre-reading level and you wish to coconstruct success criteria with them.
(photovisi)
Scenario 3. You are wanting to co-construct
success criteria for an inquiry learning

Now its your turn...

Look through the ICT tools on the wiki.
Consider one tool, or a combination of tools
and share with the person next to you how
you could see yourself or your students
using it to support assessment for learning
practices within your current class context.

But wait... theres more

to consider...
Dialogue
for
Learning

What is Dialogue
for Learning?
How can ICT
support a
dialogic
approach to
Assessment for
Learning?

Dialogue for learning

The dialogue between pupils and a
teacher should be thoughtful, reflective,
focused to evoke and explore
understanding, and conducted so that all
pupils have an opportunity to think and to
express their
ideas.
Black & Wiliams, 2001
Inside the Black Box

use another ICT tool to

support a dialogic
Assessment for Learning
approach.

Scenario:
You are wanting to capture
dialogue you are having
with a student about how
they worked out a maths
problem, so you can upload
it to their learning

consider when seeking ICTs

that will support Assessment
for Learning practices?
Students actively involved and their
learning at the heart of the process
Dialogue evident
Formative practices... Not ongoing
summative practices.
Addresses characteristics of effective
assessment.
ICT supports not leads the process.
The tools arent as important as the
process.

Thanks for coming to this

breakout.
Mary-Anne Murphy
mary-anne@inspired.ac.nz
http://www.inspired.ac.nz
021 888 597