If I could come in at this point and respond to this question.

 

I think it is important to recognise that formative assessment is, as one of
the Norwegian delegates at the OECD meeting said, an attitude rather than a
single or even multiple set of strategies (such as questioning or
teacher-designed tests). By attitude, I mean that teachers need to approach
their teaching using assessment in order to understand constantly how well
their learners are progressing on the one hand and then adjusting their
teaching in the light of that information on the other.

 

It is assessment FOR learning, not assessment OF learning.

 

In order to assess how well their learners are progressing, teachers can use
a whole range of strategies (which I'm sure we will get to in this
discussion) in order to understand where they are at any point. These
strategies can be as informal and instant as asking insightful, focused
questions (which Debbie has referred to), on-going tests or even using
summative tests for formative purposes (analysing why learners made mistakes
for example).

 

By way of a negative example, how many of us have done courses where the
teacher covers the content come hell or high water? My most vivid memories
of these sorts of courses were maths ones. The teacher simply ploughed on
through topic after topic with no recognition of how well any of us
understood the content. And then there would be a (summative) test at the
end to 'prove' that indeed most of us had not understood the content - and
hadn't since about the second session.

 

This is the antithesis of formative assessment

 

John

 

John Benseman

 

*   john.benseman at criticalinsight.co.nz

 

*   641 9 627 1882  Cell  027 454 0683

 

* 52a Bolton St, Blockhouse Bay, Auckland 0600, NZ

 

-----Original Message-----
From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov]
On Behalf Of Debbie Yoho
Sent: Tuesday, 26 February 2008 9:14 a.m.
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: [SpecialTopics 752] Re: What is formative assessment

 

While is appears formative assessment is relatively an unknown idea in

adult education, it may be very familiar to educators trained for k-12.  As

an undergraduate secondary education major in 1971, I was carefully taught

the difference between formative and summative assessments.  The emphasis

for formative assessment was on teacher-developed assessment tools.  We

studied Robert Mager's structure for formulating objectives and outcomes,

and were taught to create our own periodic assessments, oiften quite

informal,  keyed to those objectives.  One book that had a profound impact

on my teaching practice was called CLASSROOM QUESTIONS.     Alas, I cannot

remember the author and no longer have the book.  But the book showed how

to structure questions by considering Bloom's Taxonomy.   If the title

rings a bell with anyone I'd love to be reminded of the author and whether

or not it is still in print.  It was a slim volume, less than 100 pages.

 

Questions for our special topics guests:  is the foundational work of Bloom

and Mager pertinent to how formative assessment was evaluated in the OECD

studies, and are we talking mainly about teacher-made tools?

 

Deborah W. Yoho

director, Turning Pages

     (formerly the Greater Columbia Literacy Council)

a community service of Volunteers of America Carolinas

803-765-2555   Fax:  803-779-1657

PO Box 1447  Columbia, SC  29202

yohogclc at earthlink.net

 

 


> [Original Message]



> From: David J. Rosen <djrosen at comcast.net>



> To: <specialtopics at nifl.gov>



> Date: 2/25/2008 1:40:36 PM



> Subject: [SpecialTopics 751]  What is formative assessment



> 



> Colleagues,



> 



> A discussion list subscriber wrote to me offline: "David, I've never  



> heard of formative assessment in adult basic



> education.  What is it?" I think she may speak for many in the U.S.  



> who are subscribed to this discussion.



> 



> I encourage those who are new to this concept -- or possibly just  



> this term -- to post your questions now, to ask  Janet and our other  



> guests about what formative assessment means. You might ask questions  



> like "Does it mean that a teacher would......" or " ...that students  



> would...." or "Does it differ from summative assessment in that....."  



> or however you like.



> 



> While we await subscribers' questions, Janet could you give some more  



> examples of formative assessment in adult foundation (basic) skills.



> 



> David J. Rosen



> Special Topics Discussion Moderator



> djrosen at comcast.net



> 



> 



> 



> -------------------------------



> National Institute for Literacy



> Special Topics mailing list



> SpecialTopics at nifl.gov



> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to


http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/SpecialTopics


> Email delivered to dwyoho at earthlink.net


 

 

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