So many students live in fear of the word ‘assessment’ because we are afraid of performing poorly. I think for a lot of kids growing up, myself included, your self-worth was reflected in the grade at the top of your test. That grade was going to influence what my teacher thought of me, my parents thought of me, and what I thought of myself, because more than anything I wanted people to think of me as smart. Students are so focused on the number, the prize at the end that they are missing out on the actual learning experiences. I believe this line of thinking kills the love of learning.
We need to start teaching students that assessments are not something to be afraid of, they are opportunities to shine and show teachers what they have learned. Drake, Reid, & Kolohan (2014), discuss the benefits of involving students in the assessment process. Effective peer and self-assessment rely on being assessment literate (Drake et al., 2014). This to me seems like a team effort between both students as well as teachers. Teachers and students need to work together to make sure not only the content is understood, but what will be expected of them assessment wise as well. Dr. Eddy White (2009), created a slideshow on what it means to be assessment literate, and notes that above all thing the goal of assessment should be to improve both learning and teaching. By having students involved more in the building of assessments hopefully it will make students more comfortable and less afraid to fail. The image on the left was taken from Ed Prep Matters and it outlines how students do want to be involved in assessment building! By doing simple activities such having the class work with the teacher to create a rubric or the guidelines for a project can make everyone aware of what is required of them in order to succeed. There are plenty of resources available, like education.com for teachers to become assessment literate and how this process can make their students more active learners!
Drake et al., (2014) also discuss peer-assessment as a way of creating assessment literacy. By teaching students how to give appropriate, articulate feed back, (Drake et al., 2014) students begin to recognize ‘what about this was well done?’ ‘what could be done better?’ which in turn helps them be able to turn around and evaluate their own work in order to improve. This helps students understand that learning is a process and there are always things that can be improved upon, there is always more we can learn, and more ways we can push ourselves. It teaches students to become reflective, critical thinkers, connecting their work to their outcome, (Drake et al., 2014). Although the comic above by Charles M. Schulz is meant to be humorous, it draws attention to the fact that it is important for students to understand where their grades are coming from, especially if we want them to take these experiences and improve on them for the future.
I’m sure that many students have heard the words “pass your test to the person behind you to mark” but this is not true peer-assessment. Students are one of the best resources a teacher can use! Feedback is so valuable in becoming an active learner, so we should teach students to take advantage of it from a young age. As adults we constantly rely on the input and feedback from our peers in order to present our best work, so why shouldn’t students do so as well. Unfortunately, likely every student can think of an assessment experience that was less than positive, however by incorporating students into our assessment practices we can help students get to a play where assessment becomes a reflection of growth that they are not afraid of, instead they are eager to demonstrate what they have learned.
References
Barnes, S. (2014). Report Shows Need for Better Assessment Literacy. Ed Prep Matters. http://edprepmatters.net/2014/05/report-shows-need-for-better-assessment-literacy/
Drake, S. M., Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment: Engaging the 21st Century Learner. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.
Schultz, C.M., (2015). "C". http://www.peanuts.com/comics/#.VjlcEa6rSt8
White, E. PhD. (2009). Assessment literacy for effective classroom-based assessment. http://www.slideshare.net/ewhite/assessment-literacy-effective-classroombased-assessment-presentation-907377
Witte, R. H. PhD. (2010). Assessment Literacy in Today’s Classroom. Education.com. http://www.education.com/reference/article/assessment-literacy-todays-classroom/
Hey Lauren!
ReplyDeleteYour blog topic for this week is something that generates a lot of debate, especially when you consider older generation teachers vs. the newer generation of teachers. You've touched upon the ideas of being afraid to take risks in their learning and the idea of assessment literacy. These are two great topics that really sum up the whole idea behind assessment in schools. Your two visuals as well as your links to different websites really help myself and other readers understand what could be at risk for assessment and provides parents some insight to what assessment is all about.
There has been a handful of moments where I thought the assessment was done unfairly or I didn't really understand why I got what I did but I took initiative and scheduled meetings with professors to ultimately figure out what I did wrong. If this is the case, I feel that the students need to learn to take initiative themselves to go and meet with teachers and get a true explanation of what they did wrong and what they could do better! Assessment in my opinion is not bad but has to be done properly to make sure that it is effective!
Your blogs from the start of the year till now have been great! You have incorporated what needs to be incorporated while making sure it helps portray your message. Have a great rest of the year!
Good luck and all the best!
I am so intrigued with the topic you chose for this week’s blog! Right from the start, I was able to connect to exactly what you were saying in regards to assessment - and I too was one of those students who was petrified upon getting back a test or assignment, because of that giant red number or letter that would be written on the top of it. In my own personal experiences, it became the only important thing at some times - I would study for a test simply to memorize all of the necessary information needed to do well...and then I would simply lose that knowledge as soon as it was written down on the paper. It created a methodological process to my schooling, rather than an intrinsically motivated desire to learn the materials being taught. It is for reasons like this that I absolutely agree with the need for assessment literacy within the realm of education. As you said, adults thrive off of the feedback and constructive criticism given to them, and off of that adjust their way of doing things in order to perform to the best of their abilities in the future. Therefore, I too agree that children are never too young to become involved in their own assessment and learning guidelines. In my own opinion, learning through observing others is one of the most optimal and beneficial ways to develop as a student. That being said, the incorporation of students into the assessment process is something that will get them engaged as an active learner. Not only providing students with proper feedback about how they did, or what they can do to improve - but also allowing them the opportunity to assess their peers is a brilliant way that they can take a different perspective on learning and assessment - and hopefully realize the potential growth that can come from this assessment style, rather than the ultimate fear that has accompanied grading methods in the past.
ReplyDeleteHi Lauren! Your choice of topic is definitely relevant for us as students in EDUC 4P17 and a lot of us may sound an awful lot like the cartoon you included! As a pre-service teacher interested in using student centered learning, I hope to involve my students in all processes of the classroom. This includes using their interests to guide assignments and using their ideas to guide classroom expectations and rules. After reading through your blog, I now consider the importance of how students should be included in assessment processes as well. I definitely agree with your idea for how this can deter students from being scared of failure. If students understand exactly what they need to succeed and are part of this process they will be more motivated to reach these expectations. Teachers may be hesitant to use peer and self assessment because that would require giving students guidance on how to do this effectively and provide themselves and others with realistic feedback. However if teachers can work past this learning curve then students can move past their fear of assessments and failure! Thanks for giving such a relevant blog post and for all the engaging posts throughout the year.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!