I am currently teaching at a secondary school. I am in 2 departments - Science & Technology. It has become very apparent to me the vast differences in ways of assessment in these 2 departments - 1, Technology, being completely internally assessed - based on observations, resits offered, conferencing entered into, quality of workmanship - the other a combination of both - internally assessed with 1 resit offered & end of year exams. My issue is how can a school formulate an assessment policy that covers these very vast differences in assessment?
What do you think?
Marie :)
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I guess what I'm trying to say is if it is confusing for schools then it is more so for students and where do they fit into this picture?
ReplyDeleteHi Marie
ReplyDeleteThis is a fundamental issue with the concept of criterion-based assessments that have become the norm in NZ education. While I strongly agree with the basic concept there are aspects of it that need the policymakers' attention and for me that primarily is the issue of interpretation of evidence and criteria. If we could look for consistency in this aspect then perhaps the assessments would be valid and reliable.
Hi Bill
ReplyDeleteThanx for the insight - yes constistency is very hard to quantify and is also, when assessing, as personalised as the students that are being assessed. For example 1 student may have assessed that they have done the very best that they could while another with different expereinces and capabilities will produce an end product that they feel they have equally also produced a product that is the best they can do. The process gone through demonstrates a students ability but their final product may be significantly different to other students - but to the best of the ability of that student - so do we assess these students on an equal playing field or assess them holistically?
Hello Marie
ReplyDeleteI have been reading quite a lot about criteria based assessments and it certainly what we follow in the programme I teach in. My query is who decides on the criteria? An assessment that I negotiated with my students in first semester used very broadly based criteria which meant that the students had a degree of freedom as to the content aspect they had to provide. The evidence that they produced as answers to the questions were far more in depth and better argued than I had previously experienced. The comments from them reflected that they recognised the learning that they (the majority) had achieved. I would like to gain more knowledge as to how to engage those students who perhaps would rather have the spoon fed approach.
Am getting the hang of this blogging, I think, need to get back to some reading. hope all well in the arena of secondary education. Was at the most excellent talk today - Prof Sir Peter Gluckman, paediatrician endocronologist, talking about "growing old before we are born". Some thought provoking science that is being proven as fact. Was good to see several school students there too. Liz :)
Hi Liz
ReplyDeleteThanx for your comments - yes we are also dictated to even our marking criteria - specific words are expected - it is very frustrating! We also have the same issue with students wanting everything spoon fed to them and we battle to get them to research topics on their own. At 7th form students choose their own topic for research and they have to carry all this out themselves - we have mixed results with some attempting to hand in material that they have downloaded off the internet as thier own and others rising to the occasion and producing excellent pieces of research - & everything inbetween!
I do empathise with the spoon fed students though - they are the product of a system that encourages this - and this is the easier alternative for them. I always try to get to these students at a personal level - in that I make a joke that now they are going to have to use that wonderful muscle between their ears - but it is hard work keeping them focused and motivated.
Marie :)