3.+Assessment+as+Learning


 * __Assessment as Learning __**

**Defining Assessment as Learning: **

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Proverb

Teaching children to become aware of their own thought processes (metacognition) and become their own best assessors is the ultimate goal in **a//ssessment as learning.//** //Assessment as learning// empowers students with the skills and habits necessary to critically assess their own thought process.

//Assessment as learning //uses descriptive feedback to help a child set learning goals and establish strategies to achieve those goals. The students assess and monitor their progress toward reaching their goals. Through monitoring their learning, students are able to make adjustments or major changes in the process of becoming a successful learner and achieving the goals.

//Assessment as learning //comes under the formative assessment umbrella and is assessment **//with//** students not **//for//** or **//on//** students (Western and Northern Canadian Protocol for Collaboration in Education, 2006, p. 42). Students are involved in self-assessment with the goal of eventually leading their own assessment. Assessment as learning is relatively new on the assessment front with most discussion happening in the last 10-15 years. Earl sees //assessment as learning// as the most powerful assessment yet, but it needs to be implemented to become successful. Educators need time to explore it, understand it, teach it and learn from the process. “Educational change is an internal process requiring time, learning and reflection” (Earl, 1999, p. 4).

(WNCP, 2006)

**What does Assessment as Learning look like? ** //In assessment as learning //, students are actively engaged in moving the paradigm from teacher led assessment to student led. Student ownership of assessment is empowering and challenging. Students must become aware of their thinking process, analyse it, monitor it, assess it, and make changes needed to improve it. These higher-order thinking skills must be taught. A teacher's attitude and fostering of a safe, comfortable environment are paramount to successfully teaching this curriculum. Teachers lead by mentoring, giving a varity of examples and providing regular occasions for students to practice these skills. Some strategies used in //assessment as learning// include goal setting, reflecting, student-centered conferences and portfolios.

In //assessment as learning// the student is involved in analyzing her results and uses this information to set <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">personal learning goals. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">(Brownlie, Feniak & Schnellert, 2006, p. 21) media type="youtube" key="Qb5JBhYlgig" height="305" width="381" align="left"

Learning to Reflect

Students will be more successful when teachers provide, in context of the classroom activities, opportunities for students to: - understand how they learn best - write/talk about how they learn best - write/talk about how they find answers to questions outside of school - write/talk about previous successes and challenges when doing inquiry - write/talk about their feelings in a supportive environment when learing new and difficult ideas - review their processes of learning at the end of a lesson, day or week (Alberta Learning, 2004, p. 37)

media type="youtube" key="TANy7zvAvMw" height="326" width="404" align="left"

(Earl, 2003, p. 25) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">Earl (2003) believes the paradigm of assessment is out of balance. She beleives the power of //assessment as learning// should be taught and ultimately led by students. To become proficient at these skills, they must be practiced and should be the primary assessment tools used in the classroom.

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt;">Why does Assessment as Learning happen? **

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">Research (Earl, 2003; WNCP, 2006) shows the more we involve students in their own meaningful assessment the more empowerment we give the students and the more actively engaged they become in learning and assessing. We (educators) assess to guide and provide opportunities for each student to monitor and critically reflect on his or her learning and identify next steps (WNCP, 2006, p. 54).

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">The B.C. Ministry of Education (1994) states “student self-assessment provides all partners with opportunities to better understand a student’s educational strengths and needs and make adjustments to facilitate success” (Student Self-Assessment Handbook, p. 2). Assessment as learning is powerful because the student becomes the critical connector between the information received and the learning taking place.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">The sad thing is, despite research showing us the value of //assessment as learning//, it is rarely implemented. “ Systematic assessment as learning is almost nonexistent” (Earl, 2003, p. 26).

Assessment as learning (self-assessment) enables students to:
<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">(BC Ministry of Education, Student Self-Assessment - Assessment handbooks series, 1994, p. 2)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">develop a deeper understanding of themselves, their work, and the materials to be learned
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">become aware of their strengths, needs and progress
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">value the processes involved in their learning as well as the products
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">set appropriate learning goals and plan ways to achieve them
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">be active participants in assessment and evaluation
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">develop a positive self-image and realistic self-concepts
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">take responsibility for their own learning
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">develop skills that are useful throughout life

Assessment as learning (student-centered conferences) enables teachers to:

 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">﻿enrich the understanding of the student
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">allow the responsibility for creating profiles of student development to be shared with the student
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">build on and support other assessment practices
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">provide opportunities to model constructive feedback
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">strengthen communication with the student (adapted from BC Ministry of Education, Student-Centered Conferences - Assessment handbook series, 1994, p. 2)




 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">Pros and Cons of Assessment as Learning: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">Pros **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">empowers students, improves self esteem, leads them closer to becoming independent-life-long learners
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">engages students in the learning through ownership
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">students (not teachers) become the critical link between learning and assessing
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">when done well, achieves the ultimate goal of assessment - the ability for students to critically and objectively evaluate their own learning and assessment
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">strong tool for differentiated learning


 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">Challenges: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">rarely practiced in schools
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">lack of leadership in this area at the school level
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">lack of colleagues to share learning with (professional learning communities)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">some confusion about what //assessment as learning// is and looks like
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">not practiced enough for teachers, overall, to feel confident with implementation
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">difficult to get buy-in from some as


 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">Connections to Assessment as Learning: **

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">Val's connections: <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">As Earl (2003) suggests, //Assessment as learning// rarely happens. I must say that despite doing a lot of collaborative and inquiry based learning, I do not incorporate assessment as learning on a regular basis. I certainly include formative, daily assessment, and reflection at the end of each unit, but I rarely have students reflect during the unit. Although not as consistent as I would like to be in //assessment as learning,// I do incorporate some of the strategies into the curriclum. Students work with me to collaboratively create student friendly rubrics that meet our goals and allow opportunities for diversified learning; students keep portfolio's of 'their best work" for student led conferences and a comparative analysis of their own work and we do some goal-setting but not as it relates to their learning styles and assessment knowledge. Knowing the specifics of //assessment as learning//, and its benefits to students, I plan to look at ways to best incorporate more //assessment as learning// into our curriculum.

Darryl’s Connection: Partnering with students to create rubrics for assessment when we design an assignment is the most common example of assessment as learning that I practice. This gives students the opportunity to become a partner in the process of evaluation as well as providing the opportunity to have ownership in the assessment of their work. The rubrics we create together are not only used at the end of an assignment but also during the assignment. This enables students to evaluate and reflect on their learning during the process and not simply at the end where changes/improvements are not able to be made.

Jes' Connection: In both my English and social studies classes, I use assessment as learning when we create rubrics for projects and some assignments. Assessment as learning tends to happen more in my English class as I have students revisit the rubrics or criteria of their written work more often during process so that they can determine if they are meeting the goals that we initially set out. For many of my assignments I do ask students to complete a self-evaluation, but this is relatively new for me (within the last 2 years). Rarely do we use student-led conferences at the high school, but it is probably something that we should give more consideration to, as it empowers students to demonstrate their learning and understanding.