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References
Paul Black & Dylan Wiliam (1998) Assessment and Classroom Learning, Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 5:1, 7-74, DOI: 10.1080/0969595980050102
OVERVIEW
Assessment is a crucial component of the teaching and learning process. Through ongoing diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments, you can gather vital insights into what students are learning, where they may be struggling, and how best to support their academic growth. Assessment enhances student learning (Black & Wiliam, 1998). By integrating assessment into your teaching practices, you can develop targeted instruction strategies and provide students with meaningful feedback to help them progress and succeed. Whether you are new to assessment or looking to refine your existing practices, our resources and tools on this page are designed to support you in developing effective assessment strategies that enhance the learning experience for all students.
Integrating assessment into your teaching practices is an ongoing process. Below are some initial steps to help develop effective assessment strategies that enhance learning and improve student outcomes
- Explore existing data: What do you students already know? Have you identified any gaps in knowledge for the group or individuals within the group? Throughout the additional steps think of ways to fill any gaps.
- Identify learning objectives: What should the students know and be able to due at the end of this lesson/unit? Identify the learning objectives for the lesson/unit. This will help you to develop targeted assessments that align with specific learning goals.
- Determine needed foundation skills: What skills do students need before beginning this lesson/unit? Throughout the additional steps think of ways to address missing foundation skills. An example of this might be optional videos.
- Consider Assessment Types: Consider different types of assessments, such as formative assessments (used during instruction to provide feedback and guide learning) and summative assessments (used to evaluate learning outcomes at the end of a unit or course). Determine which types are most appropriate for the specific learning goals.
- Explore Assessment Methods: Explore various assessment methods that can effectively measure student understanding. This could include written exams, projects, presentations, performances, portfolios, group work, simulations, or authentic real-world tasks. Consider which methods align with the learning objectives and allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills accurately.
- Develop assessment criteria: Develop clear assessment criteria that outline what students are expected to know and be able to do, and how they will be evaluated.
- Communicate with students: Communicate the assessment criteria and objectives with your students. When students know what will be assessed, they are better able to prepare for exams and assignments.
- Provide feedback: Provide constructive feedback to your students on their assessments. This will help your students to understand where they need to improve and gain insights to improve performance.