Authentic assessment for a more inclusive history

ABSTRACT

Practitioners and theorists in higher education have explored authentic assessment as a mechanism to better connect student work to real-world practice. This article considers the possibilities for authentic assessment in teaching history as a discipline and professional field at university, considering how ‘real-world practice’ might be expanded to include the understanding and practice of inclusive or participatory history. This article explores student survey responses related to three authentic assessment tasks, designed and delivered over a three-year history curriculum. This survey was designed to understand the efficacy of authentic assessment for scaffolding historical practice at university, and to also evaluate its possibilities for helping to transform the practice of history, which in recent decades has sought, with limited success, more inclusive epistemologies and pedagogies. In this article we suggest that authentic assessment is likely to successfully connect history students to real-world activities, but that it is necessary to consider whose authenticity is at stake if the discipline of history is to succeed in its wider aims. Drawing on student comments, we conclude that authentic assessment can contribute to student becoming, but that it also helps build a similar kind of ‘becoming’ for the discipline and practice of history itself.     

A cross-cultural comparison of German and Canadian student teachers’ assessment competence

ABSTRACT

Teachers’ competence in educational assessment is a key feature in teacher professionalism. Understanding of assessment competence has evolved from the learning of technical skills in assessment to a context-dependent, socially defined understanding encompassing a multitude of approaches to assessment. Thus, a holistic approach to assessment competence is used in this research to specifically consider the role of education culture on assessment competence. In particular, we compared Canadian and German student teachers with regard to their self-rated competence in, and approaches towards, educational assessment. While structural analysis revealed that the overall dimensions in which assessment is perceived do not depend on culture, ANOVAs pointed at some differences between the two countries, particularly concerning assessment purposes and approaches to fairness.     

Assessment and teacher professionalism

ABSTRACT

This paper draws from a multi‐site qualitative case‐study research project entitled From Policy to Practice funded by the University of Exeter. The research sought to identify the impact that the Key Stage 3 tests would have on the working practices of eight heads of English departments and their staff in mixed maintained comprehensive schools in different regions of England.

The paper begins by presenting the way that the national assessment system has undergone change since its inception, highlighting that the function of assessment is to act as the most significant indicator of a school's performance through government policy that promotes and prioritizes the measurement of pupils’ achievements through each key stage.

The English teachers’ responses to the revisions of the English National Curriculum Programmes of Study are described and the paper documents the thoughts and feelings of these teachers as they had to try to make sense of the changes in their classroom working practices. They are articulate in categorizing those aspects of their pedagogical practice that the assessment process has stifled and those that the assessment process has encouraged. The paper then offers an interpretative analysis of the impact that the externally imposed curriculum and assessment changes have had on the teachers’ sense of being professionals.     

Dynamic assessment: supporting educational psychologists’ practice through the use of video during supervision

ABSTRACT

Dynamic assessment (DA) is appealing to educational psychologists (EPs) due to: its flexibility, allowing EPs to adjust materials and processes to fit the assessment context; its usefulness, revealing ideas about how the next steps for learning might be achieved; and its focus on strengths. In Feuerstein’s words, “it is the instances of success of the individual that are the focal point for analysis for the reasons of success and failure”. Given the appeal of DA, it is frustrating that it has not been taken up more by practitioners. This paper will explore what DA is, and what it is not, summarise its advantages, consider why it is not more widely used, and introduce one way in which EPs can receive support for DA; using video of an EP “doing” DA within supervision in order to reflect on “good” DA.     

Classroom assessment as the co-regulation of learning

ABSTRACT

Until recently, the classroom assessment literature has emphasized the role of teachers and tests, for example investigating teachers’ assessment practices or the quality of classroom tests and other assessments. In contrast, current understandings of teaching and learning emphasize the role of students, as well as the complex interactions between teachers, students, and contexts. We use the literature review method to give substance to a theory of classroom assessment as the co-regulation of learning by teachers, students, instructional materials, and contexts. We organize the literature using a version of Pintrich and Zusho’s theory of the phases and areas of the self-regulation of learning, expanded to include the co-regulation of learning, in order to demonstrate how classroom assessment is related to all aspects of the regulation of learning. We conclude that this is a useful expansion for the field.     

Standards of practice to standards of evidence: developing assessment capable teachers

Abstract

Teacher education is a hotly debated policy area in higher education and schooling portfolios, with increasing emphasis on standards and accountability. It is in this environment that The Standards Project (2013–2015) presented in this article began. It has at its core a three-part commitment: first, to undertake a comprehensive audit and analysis of all teacher education programmes in the state of Queensland, Australia, to establish the approaches and practices Universities relied on to preparing beginning teachers as assessment capable; second, to take account of multiple perspectives and approaches in initial teacher education to integrating data into how beginning teachers are prepared to source and use evidence for improving learning and teaching; and further, to develop new principles, policy and practices for reviewing and moderating teacher education programmes against professional standards. The paper proposes a move beyond the discourse of professional standards of practice towards a complementary discourse of standards of evidence. In our collaboration we drew on two fields, namely the writing on teacher education including reviews, and the field of assessment, both considered within broader sociocultural theory applied to assessment.     

Computer-aided authoring of assessment instruments: An activity-theoretical approach

Abstract

Various researches have been conducted on the role and importance of assessment in education as well as its impact on the learner and the overall learning process. In fact, the way assessment is formulated in a particular subject shapes the way students learn. They focus their learning to comply with assessment requirements that they anticipate. In this article, the study is focused on the written examination papers (teacher-made tests) that are normally prepared at the end of a semester or an academic year to assess students of secondary and tertiary levels. The study also investigates how well papers are set and balanced according to the cognitive levels defined by Bloom (1956) and the learning outcomes/objectives as defined for the subjects. A collaborative process model as a framework for the design of such tests that can enhance the evaluation process is proposed. A brief argument is made for a case for a computer-supported collaborative environment to implement such a framework and which is based on activity theory. Such a framework is implemented in the form of MYSTIC; a collaborative authoring software for assessment instruments. The software allows stand-alone as well as collaborative authoring of examination papers and also helps academics' decision-making concerning the examination paper balancing and moderating process by graphically displaying and comparing marks allocated per question paper against the learning objectives     

Digital Portfolios

Abstract

Educators are faced with developing performance indicators for reporting to state and national agencies on pre-service teacher candidates' ability to teach using innovative pedagogy as well as content-specific standards. Portfolio assessment has gained momentum as a standard in assessing student-learning outcomes. This paper is a discussion of digital portfolio development as a stimulus to the intellectual involvement of the learner (a Type II application). Digital portfolio development is an activity that naturally involves intellectual involvement as the learner identifies the problem (developing the digital portfolio) and then problem solves as he or she creates the digital portfolio. Each student is in control of portfolio development and manipulates the Web-based software to create the professional portfolio.     

Formative assessment of students from a Confucian heritage culture: Insights from Japan

Abstract

Since the turn of the century there has been increasing interest in educational assessment and the ways in which it can encourage or discourage effective learning processes. Much of this interest has centered around formative assessment and those practices which can promote student learning through the act of being assessed. Societies that have a Confucian heritage culture are widely believed to prioritize summative assessment at the expense of formative assessment. This will inevitably impact the ways in which students from these countries approach and engage with assessment tasks. The present study seeks to understand the dispositions of students from one Confucian heritage culture though the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. The conceptions and experiences of university students in Japan were studied in order to provide direction for the development of formative assessment practice. Two data collection instruments were used: a self-report survey and a narrative frame task. The results indicate that students from Japan approach assessment tasks in a way that is at odds with some popular Confucian categories, such as intense competition, a desire to please the family, and the priority of book knowledge above practical skill. The paper concludes with pedagogical implications for teachers.     

Does peer assessment promote student learning? A meta-analysis

Abstract

In recent years, there has been an increasing use of peer assessment in classrooms and other learning settings. Despite the prevailing view that peer assessment has a positive effect on learning across empirical studies, the results reported are mixed. In this meta-analysis, we synthesised findings based on 134 effect sizes from 58 studies. Compared to students who do not participate in peer assessment, those who participate in peer assessment show a .291 standard deviation unit increase in their performance. Further, we performed a meta-regression analysis to examine the factors that are likely to influence the peer assessment effect. The most critical factor is rater training. When students receive rater training, the effect size of peer assessment is substantially larger than when students do not receive such training. Computer-mediated peer assessment is also associated with greater learning gains than the paper-based peer assessment. A few other variables (such as rating format, rating criteria and frequency of peer assessment) also show noticeable, although not statistically significant, effects. The results of the meta-analysis can be considered by researchers and teachers as a basis for determining how to make effective use of peer assessment as a learning tool.     

The role of technology-facilitated peer assessment and supporting strategies: a meta-analysis

Abstract

Technology-facilitated peer assessment is gaining increasing attention. However, evidence for the contribution of technology-facilitated peer assessment to learning achievements has not been investigated. The present meta-analysis integrated findings on the effects of technology-facilitated peer assessment based on two main elements: (1) technology-facilitated peer assessment, (2) the use of extra supporting strategies in technology-facilitated peer assessment. A total of 37 empirical studies published from 1999 to 2018 were selected and analysed. Results indicated that technology-facilitated peer assessment had a significant and medium effect on learning achievements with an overall mean effect size of 0.576. The use of extra supporting strategies in technology-facilitated peer assessment also produced a positive and medium effect on students’ learning achievements with an overall mean effect size of 0.543. Different moderator variables, such as task types, assessment modes, training for assessors, durations, grouping types and assessment methods were related to different effect sizes. The results together with the implications for both practice and research are discussed.     

Development and exemplification of a model for Teacher Assessment in Primary Science

ABSTRACT

The Teacher Assessment in Primary Science project is funded by the Primary Science Teaching Trust and based at Bath Spa University. The study aims to develop a whole-school model of valid, reliable and manageable teacher assessment to inform practice and make a positive impact on primary-aged children’s learning in science. The model is based on a data-flow ‘pyramid’ (analogous to the flow of energy through an ecosystem), whereby the rich formative assessment evidence gathered in the classroom is summarised for monitoring, reporting and evaluation purposes [Nuffield Foundation. (2012). Developing policy, principles and practice in primary school science assessment. London: Nuffield Foundation]. Using a design-based research (DBR) methodology, the authors worked in collaboration with teachers from project schools and other expert groups to refine, elaborate, validate and operationalise the data-flow ‘pyramid’ model, resulting in the development of a whole-school self-evaluation tool. In this paper, we argue that a DBR approach to theory-building and school improvement drawing upon teacher expertise has led to the identification, adaptation and successful scaling up of a promising approach to school self-evaluation in relation to assessment in science.     

Making learning effective – quantity and quality of pre-service teachers’ feedback

ABSTRACT

Feedback is an essential formative assessment practice that has the potential to influence student learning and achievement positively. Providing effective feedback, however, is a challenging task for teachers. Especially beginning teachers struggle with the provision of information that supports students in developing and improving their competences. Learning to provide feedback thus is an important aspect of teacher education. The present exploratory study investigates pre-service chemistry teachers’ practices regarding the judgement of students’ level of achievement and the provision of feedback in the context of the control-of-variables strategy. A sample of N?=?40 bachelor and master students at Kiel University judged students’ written artefacts and provided feedback with the aim to support students in their progression towards the learning goals. The quality of the feedback was coded with respect to its correct judgement of the students’ current levels of achievement and the support it provided regarding next steps in learning. The results show that only a few of the pre-service teachers could correctly judge students’ current levels of achievement and provide feedback that is expected to be effective. Overall, the findings indicate a need for more research in this field and a need for the implementation of formative assessment practices as a topic in pre-service teacher education.     

Effects of Classroom Assessment on Student Motivation in Fifth-Grade Science

Abstract

Researchers have suggested that assessment has the potential to affect learner behavior in terms of cognitive strategy use and motivation. The authors attempted to provide an understanding of the nature of the effect of particular assessment types on motivation. Students in 3 5th-grade science classes were exposed to 3 different classroom assessment conditions: traditional paper-and-pencil tests, a laboratory task format of assessment, and a performance assessment Measures of attitudes about science, goal orientation, and cognitive engagement (J. L. Meece, P. C. Blumenfeld, & R. K. Hoyle, 1988) were used. Analyses indicate a significant effect attributable to assessment type on goal orientation only, with the traditional paper-and-pencil tests and the performance assessments fostering more task-focused orientations than the laboratory tests.     

A GEARed peer feedback model and implications for learning facilitation

This study proposes a model to view and analyse college students’ written peer feedback after they assess each other’s formative task assignment and provide comments. The model was developed by: (a) revisiting learning-oriented assessment and feedback theories, (b) reviewing and summarising existing peer feedback analysis approaches as detailed in published empirical studies, and (c) analysing a small set of primary learner peer feedback data. In the proposed GEARed model of peer feedback, each complete piece of comment on one improvable unit may have four cognitive elements, i.e. identification of the Gap between performance and goal, Explanation of the gap, gap-bridging Aspirations, and being Resourceful to reach beyond the current knowledge/skill level. Two social-affective-interactive elements also play a part, i.e. being encouraging to the peer feedback receiver and doubtful toward the provider self. Each feedback comment may contain any or all of these incremental elements rather than being assigned only to one category. It is argued that the absent or unresolved aspects in feedback leave room for the receiver to reflect and may suggest instructional actions for teachers. Finally, different patterns of GEARed component combinations are hypothesised and their implications for learning and teaching are discussed.     

Student teachers’ appraisal of the importance of assessment in teacher education and self-reports on the development of assessment competence

Abstract

Competence in assessment has been identified as a key feature in teachers’ professional success. However, assessment competence is a complex field, comprising capacity in both summative and formative assessment. Hence, a detailed view on how student teachers perceive assessment is the focus of this study. Based on an official catalogue of assessment standards, over 900 student teachers repeatedly rated the importance of the standards and the frequency with which they behaved in accordance with the standards in practicum situations. Analyses revealed that (a) students perceived assessment competence as a contextual entity distinguishable from other domains, (b) while they assigned high importance ratings to assessment standards in general, standards concerned specifically with external evaluation were seen as relatively unimportant, and (c) they perceived a rise in their own assessment competence during their teacher education. Taken together, this suggests that in the student view assessment competence is important and develops over time.     

Can Educationally Significant Learning be Assessed?

Abstract

This article argues that assessment is a central feature of teaching, particularly as a means to determine whether what has been taught has been learnt. However, I take issue with the current trend in education which places a significant amount of emphasis upon large-scale public testing, which in turn has exacerbated the ‘teaching-to-the-test’ syndrome, not to mention distorting teaching decisions that are detrimental to the overall development of student knowledge and understanding. Part of the problem with assessment in education seems to revolve around the nature of knowledge and how best to assess human knowledge and understanding. Although much philosophical uncertainty and disagreement exists surrounding the nature of knowledge, I argue that coming to know something is a sine qua non of any education. In saying this, I highlight the limits of assessment by demonstrating how certain activities are resistant to large-scale public testing because they are not easily reducible to facts which can be tested for, or at least in the same way as propositional forms of knowledge. Consequently, my argument is a philosophical one to the effect that assessment, particularly large-scale public testing is incapable of assessing all forms of learning, or even the quality of student understanding because the instruments available are both too blunt and tend to capture a certain kind of knowledge that privileges theory over practice, and mental skills over physical skills.     

Exceeding expectations: scaffolding agentic engagement through assessment as learning

Background: The active involvement of learners as critical, reflective and capable agents in the learning process is a core aim in contemporary education policy in Australia, and is regarded as a significant factor for academic success. However, within the relevant literature, the issue of positioning students as agents in the learning process has not been fully examined and needs further exploration.

Purpose: This study aims to explore ways in which aspects of self-regulated learning theory may be integrated with the concept of agentic engagement into classroom practice. Specifically, the study seeks to scaffold students’ self-assessment capabilities and self-efficacy by using a formative assessment-as-learning process. The research examines how scaffolded planning, as part of the forethought phase in the Assessment as Learning (AaL) process, influences self-regulation and student agency in the learning process.

Sample: 126 students from school years two, four and six (student age groups 7, 9 and 11 years), and 7 teachers at an independent (co-educational, non-religious) primary school in the Northern Territory, Australia, participated in the study.

Design and methods: Conducted as a one-setting, cross-sectional practitioner research study, the data sources included students’ planning templates, writing samples, interviews with students and teachers and email correspondence with teachers. The data were analysed for emerging themes and interpreted from a framework of social cognitive theory.

Findings: In this study, students were given the opportunity and support to exercise agentic engagement. Findings suggested that, in particular, students who were identified by their teachers as low-achieving and/or with poor motivation, were perceived by the teachers as exceededing expectations by demonstrating relatively greater motivation, persistence, effort and pride in their work than would be the case usually.

Conclusions: The findings from this formative AaL study suggest that AaL has the potential to help scaffold primary students’ development of assessment capabilities.