Continuing with the discussion as to just what formative assessment is....

 

Black and Wiliam describe formative assessment as involving four elements

 

1.)    Establishment of a standard or expected level of student performance
(the goals for learning)

2.)    Gathering information on the student's current performance (through
diagnostic assessment or within the classroom - questioning, written or oral
performances, testing, and so on).

3.)    Development of a mechanism to compare the two performance levels
(criteria for judging the quality of the learner performance)

4.)    Development of a mechanism to alter the gap (feedback, development of
appropriate assignments or areas of study to help address a specific learning
gap - instructors may also adjust the level of difficulty as appropriate for
the learner).


It differs from "summative" assessment (tests, examinations), in that the
information gathered in the assessment process is used to help identify and
address gaps, rather than to make a final judgment of the learners'
performance.  Learners may have the chance to "re-do" lessons until they have
mastered it.  

 

As John Benseman has mentioned, Instructors often feel obligated to plough
through the curriculum content, whether learners are "getting" it or not.
Instructors who have integrated formative assessment approaches into their
teaching approaches often find that they are choosing to cut back on what
they will cover - focusing instead on the core concepts that are absolutely
essential for learners.   They proceed when it is clear that learners have
grasped the fundamental concept (and they may come back later to help deepen
knowledge of that concept),

 

While we very often contrast formative and summative assessment - we should
clarify that the ABSENCE of summative assessment (e.g., adult foundation
skill learners don't get "marks"/"grades" as do learners in compulsory
schooling) does not necessarily mean that instructors are providing formative
assessment.  Effective formative assessment requires a planned, systematic
approach as well as full engagement of the learners with the process (setting
out goals for their learning, understanding and helping to set criteria for
judging its quality, assessing the quality of their own and sometimes their
peers' work, responding to instructor feedback, and tracking progress toward
goals).  Instructors are systematic in their efforts to gauge learner
progress and to ensure that lessons are meeting learner needs.

 

In both the 2005 and the current OECD studies, instructors interviewed
consistently emphasized how important it is to create a classroom ambiance
where learners feel "safe" to express themselves, and to reveal what they do
and do not understand.   The is perhaps initially challenging with adults,
who have developed the habit of covering up any shortcomings in skills.

 

 

 

From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov]
On Behalf Of John Benseman
Sent: 26 February, 2008 4:31 AM
To: dwyoho at earthlink.net; specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: [SpecialTopics 757] Re: What is formative assessment

 

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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