This is another hot topic at the
moment. What good is telling a pupil what mark they get out of 10 if we
do not give them guides on how to improve or what that mark out of 10
even means.
It’s just not enough anymore to give them a mark with a "well done" and
call that efficient marking. This is where Assessment for Learning
comes into the picture. The key concept is that it has to be driven
by learning, so when offering feedback we should be offering
advice on ways in which they can improve.
Another important aspect of AfL is encouraging the pupils to take
responsibility for their own learning and assessment.
So what are the best ways to integrate AfL into your teaching?
Peer Assessment - I’m a big fan of this as it is
great watching pupils engaged in dialogue with each other about
their work. This can be done in a number of ways; they can gather
market research of their initial ideas to help choose their final
design, deliver a presentation to the class and ask pupils to
comment on specific areas, or even assess each others’ work using
the same mark scheme as the teacher would.
Model expectations - Nothing is more effective in
getting what you want out of your pupils, than modelling
expectations and showing suitable examples whilst
highlighting the best features whilst inspiring them.
Assessment Criteria - When assigning tasks, it’s useful
for pupils to know exactly what you will be looking for when
marking. This also makes your marking and commentary much more
straightforward!
Good questioning - Also see the questioning tab on the
right. Good assessment is fundamentally based on focussing on what
pupils do not know, thus helping you identify the limits of their
understanding.
One on one - This is a really beneficial form of
assessment for learning, as pupils get individual and focussed
feedback from their teacher on how they are doing and how they
can improve. I have included a free downloadable target
setting sheet I use with my GCSE classes which has proved
effective, especially if they are filled out on a regular basis
making it easier to monitor.
