I'LL ADDRESS A COUPLE MORE OF DAVID'S QUESTIONS ABOUT THE OECD STUDY WE ARE
DISCUSSING: 

QUESTION 5. What were the methods used in the study?

This study explores the state of the art in this field, drawing upon:

*	International research from English, French, German and
Spanish-language literature.  The literature examines the conceptualization
of formative assessment and related teaching strategies in adult LLN
education, the breadth and quality of evidence in the field, and what is
known about the impact of specific approaches and techniques for different
learners.   
*	Innovative cases in a range of adult LLN learning settings, where
teaching, learning and assessment have been adapted to meet the needs of this
population.  The case studies were conducted by country-based experts along
with OECD-appointed experts not from the same country (and therefore bringing
a different perspective to the study).  
*	Country background reports describing policies to suport adult
foundation skill learners.

All of these documents are available for free on our website.  At the moment,
the quickest link is at www.oecd.org/edu/whatworks/feb2008meeting.   Click on
the link to "Documentation" just below the "conference agenda".

The literature reviews did, however find  a rich literature on the different
formative assessment  approaches and techniques, which draws on practitioner
wisdom.  This literature provides a firm foundation for further research.

QUESTION 6. How does OECD define formative assessment; what are its key
characteristics?

The "quick and dirty" definition of formative assessment used by the OECD is:
"the frequent assessment of learner progress and understanding to identify
learning needs and shape teaching".  

If we probe more deeply, we find that formative assessment represents a sea
change in how we think not only about assessment, but also teaching and
learning:
*	The underlying assumption of formative assessment is that each
learner can succeed. Assessment is a means to identify individual needs and
tailor teaching. This is a profound change from approaches where assessment
is used as a means to identify and promote the most able learners.
*	In classrooms featuring formative assessment, the instructors'
primary role is to facilitate the learning process. This implies that
instructors have developed skills for uncovering learning gaps, correctly
identifying the source of misconceptions, and offering useful learning tasks
and challenges to promote learning. Instructors need strong subject-matter
and pedagogical expertise, as well as softer skills, such as empathy.
*	Learners are actively engaged in the learning and assessment process,
and developing skills for self- and peer-assessment. They may also negotiate
teaching goals and methods. The focus is on the process of learning as well
as on outcomes. 

The focus on the individual learner, the shaping of the educational process
to draw on the information about how well learners are progressing, and the
engagement of learners in the learning process go well beyond techniques of
"traditional" student assessment: it is about the whole approach to shaping
teaching and learning. In short, formative assessment represents a
fundamental shift in classroom relationships, and how instructors and
learners work toward successful outcomes.


-----Original Message-----
From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov]
On Behalf Of David J. Rosen
Sent: 25 February, 2008 5:07 PM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: [SpecialTopics 749] For those who have just joined the
formativeassessment discussion

Colleagues,

The discussion on formative assessment began earlier today, February  
25th. If you have just joined the discussion and have missed the  
first two posts you will find them -- and all the posts for this  
discussion that follow -- at http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/ 
specialtopics/2008/date.html

If you have questions or comments on the postings so far, the  
background and introduction to the study/ies, please email them to to  
specialtopics at nifl.gov

I look forward to your thoughts, questions, and comments.

David J. Rosen
Special Topics Discussion Moderator
djrosen at comcast.net



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