5 Keys to Quality Assessment
‘Five key ideas about quality assessment’ – Keep it to 5 main points and write a few sentences on each. Use references to support your ideas.
McMillan (2011) describes assessment as 'the gathering, interpretation and use of information to support teacher decision-making'. (p5) Quality assessment is carried out to evaluate teaching, so that completed assessment tasks then provide information that is required by teachers to validate effective decisions about student learning. This allows teachers to continually assess processes to ensure the most effective interventions are always in place. Therefore teachers are constantly attempting to maximise learning processes by constantly analysing current methods with ongoing assessment based tools for continuous improvement.
Preassessment
Preassessment could be conducted by teachers before the actual formal assessment process begins. Willis, S (2004) concludes, 'learning is built on existing knowledge. Prior learning needs to be assessed in order to provide experiences through which students can link their new knowledge to compliment what they already know'. Therefore this suggests that the gathering of crucial information about each student’s knowledge, skills and attitudes enables the teacher to better understand the students’ abilities before they commence teaching. It could also be perceived that without this knowledge, a student’s development may be impaired. e.g. If a new student starts at a school they may be at a different level to the other students and if the teacher does not know their current abilities they may be teaching a subject that is too advanced, thus the student will be unable to learn if they have not been introduced to this material previously.
Personal Perspective
Killen, R (2005) states that a teachers own personal perspective may affect communication of information. Therefore if a teacher perceives a student in a judgemental and subjective manner, this may affect negatively how the teacher
McMillan (2011) describes assessment as 'the gathering, interpretation and use of information to support teacher decision-making'. (p5) Quality assessment is carried out to evaluate teaching, so that completed assessment tasks then provide information that is required by teachers to validate effective decisions about student learning. This allows teachers to continually assess processes to ensure the most effective interventions are always in place. Therefore teachers are constantly attempting to maximise learning processes by constantly analysing current methods with ongoing assessment based tools for continuous improvement.
Preassessment
Preassessment could be conducted by teachers before the actual formal assessment process begins. Willis, S (2004) concludes, 'learning is built on existing knowledge. Prior learning needs to be assessed in order to provide experiences through which students can link their new knowledge to compliment what they already know'. Therefore this suggests that the gathering of crucial information about each student’s knowledge, skills and attitudes enables the teacher to better understand the students’ abilities before they commence teaching. It could also be perceived that without this knowledge, a student’s development may be impaired. e.g. If a new student starts at a school they may be at a different level to the other students and if the teacher does not know their current abilities they may be teaching a subject that is too advanced, thus the student will be unable to learn if they have not been introduced to this material previously.
Personal Perspective
Killen, R (2005) states that a teachers own personal perspective may affect communication of information. Therefore if a teacher perceives a student in a judgemental and subjective manner, this may affect negatively how the teacher
References: McMillan, J. (2011). Classroom Assessment: Principles and practice for effective standards. (5th ed.). Boston MA: Allyn & Bacon. Scherer, M. (2009). The tests that won’t go away. Educational leadership, 67(3), 5. Killen, R. (2005). Programming and assessment for quality and learning. South Melbourne: Thompson (Cengage). Willis, S. (2004). First steps in mathematics: overview. Port Melbourne: Rigby Heinemann.