EVALUATE LEARNING
What does this mean?
To evaluate learning is to make judgements about the quality of learning based on evidence. This process is instructive for students to the extent that they understand the criteria against which these judgements are made and know what to do to improve. This process can be enhanced by teaching students to self and peer assess against shared criteria or standards, thus developing students’ ability to use evaluative language, reason with evidence and engage in metacognitive reflection on their learning.
Students need models of work that meet rigorous standards, and they need structured opportunities for critique and descriptive feedback so that they too can produce work that meets the standards. ... We often settle for low-quality work because we underestimate the capacity of students to create beautiful high-quality work. With time, clarity, critique and support, students are capable of much more than we imagine.
Ron Berger
By gathering evidence of students’ learning during lessons we can adapt our teaching to respond to gaps in students’ knowledge and errors in their thinking as these arise. Such formative approaches to the assessment of learning support ongoing improvement, particularly where feedback is provided that is actionable by students.
Why is this important?
EVALUATION OF AND FOR LEARNING:
- Is an key feature of formative practice in the classroom.
- Allows teaching to be adapted during lessons to better meet the needs of students.
- Establishes what has been learned by students and the extent to which learning objectives have been met.
- Enables feedback to be given that advances students' learning and improves future performance.
- Supports reflection on learning and identification of strengths and next steps.
- Informs the process of lesson planning and 'backwards' design.
Why pedagogies of contingency? The central idea is that we should use assessment to influence learning and that the teaching should be contingent on what students have learnt, so that while we're teaching we collect evidence about where the students are to make adjustments to our teaching to better meet our students' learning needs.
Dylan Wiliam
