Bob Campo Belocura, Jr.

MA Ed Soc Sci
Methods & Strategies in Teaching Social Studies/History SS 506
Summer 2014
Prof. Nerissa S. Tantengco, Ph.D.

A Reflection on Checking for Understanding

Checking for understanding embodies this wisdom, contending that assessment can (should)
serve academic learning, not simply as means for measurement and evaluation.1 It offers the assurance
of quality learning that caters to individual learners.
Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey creatively presented what could have been answers to questions
a decade ago in our local school curriculum here in the Philippines. Part of which is the approaches to
individual learning and the value of the interaction of that individual learner into the stream of group
dynamic learning.
As defined by Fisher and Frey, it is an important step in the teaching and learning process the
background that students bring into the classroom influences how they understand the material you share
and the lessons or learning opportunities you provide.2

Example, identifying and confronting

misconceptions in all content areas that can interfere with learning and addressing students
misconceptions; it provides students with a model of good study skills, and when their teachers regularly
check for understanding, students become increasingly aware of how to monitor their own
understanding.
What checking for understanding is, for a fact, not an exam, nor a NCAE, NAT or any final
examinations. Although, as what the authors consumed, an evidence that improvement of scores relates
to it, they are only designed to provide feedback on how the student performed after instruction. It gives
a systematic approach to formative assessment.
A comparison of formative and summative assessments provided by the authors:3
Formative Assessments
Purpose

To improve instruction and provide

Summative Assessments
To measure student competency

student feedback
When administered

Ongoing throughout unit

End of unit or course

Douglas Fisher & Nancy Frey; Checking for Understanding; Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development; Alexandria, Virginia USA; copyright 2007; page vii
2
Ibid.
3
Ibid. p.4

How students use results

To self-monitor understanding

To gauge their progress toward the

course or grade-level goals and
benchmarks

How teachers use results

To check for understanding

For grades, promotion

One of the things that is very positive in relation to teaching methodologies, explained by the
authors is this:
Formative assessments are ongoing assessments, reviews and observation in a classroom.
Teachers use formative assessment to improve instructional methods and provide them feedback
throughout the teaching and learning process Summative assessments are typically used to evaluate the
effectiveness of the instructional programs and services at the end of the academic year or at a predetermined time. The goal of the summative assessments is to judge students competency after an
instructional phase is complete.4

The Understanding by Design

In 1998, Wiggins and McTighe proposed a

curriculum model called Understanding by Design, in
which curriculum and instruction are developed
backward were teachers and curriculum developers
learned to begin with the end in mind and plan
accordingly5 In short, the outcomes, goals and
objectives we had for student learning first and then
plan instruction and develop curriculum to close the
gap between what the students already know and what
they need to know.
Figure 1 Framework for Establishing Curricular Priorities

Wiggins and McTighe offer an additional tool for thinking about how we check for understanding.
They describe the nested framework that focuses on prioritizing curricular priorities in order to teach
essential knowledge. The innermost circle represents the area on which we want to spend more of our
time the enduring understanding. The second concentric circle represents things that are important to
know and be able to do. The outermost circle encompasses information that is worth being familiar with.6
4

Ibid.
Ibid. p.6
6
Ibid. p.7
5

From every important elements to the least, where we lead us to the essential to the not so important of
the topics to be discussed.

Differentiating Instruction

Carol Ann Tomlinson (1999) author of The

Differentiated Classroom, has challenged educators to
differentiate instruction to meet the increasingly diverse
needs of students. As noted in Figure 2, there are a number
of ways to accomplish this task. Teachers can differentiate
the content, process, or products they use or expect from
students.7
As noted in Tomlinsons model, assessment

Figure 2 Model for Differentiating Instruction

serves a critical role in teacher decision making. Teachers

need to use a wide variety of assessment systems (and regularly check our students understanding) to
know whether or not our instructional interventions, modifications, accommodations and extensions are
working. Checking for understanding presumes that students are able to demonstrate their understanding
in different ways. This demands not only that products are differentiated but also that our ways of
analyzing them are differentiated.

Checking your Own Understanding

This is about checking students understanding as they learn content and performance objectives.
But it is also about the implications of checking for understanding on our own classroom school wide
practices, especially with regard to reflective teaching and collaboration with our colleagues, it relates to
teaching, learning and school reform efforts.8

7
8

Ibid. pp. 8-9

Ibid. p.134

Summation

It is very important for us to improve our capabilities as teachers, not only for our students, but
for us, as well. Teachers who are regularly check for understanding appreciate the need to get responses
from all students, not just for the ones who know the answer.
As a pre-assessment activity, the need to understand fully the processes of learning through
understanding by design helps the learners appreciate, grasp, aware and learn the essential modes of
learning through an approach that is indifferent from the usual approach that is very familiar with the
primary and secondary education in our country.
The process of checking for understanding requires the teachers move beyond asking questions
and giving tests to determine whether learning has occurred. Many of the routine practices of schooling
take on new possibilities in the hands of a skilled educator.
It is believed, however that the implementation of the said UbD in our education system helped
attained a twisted phenomenon of thinkers from our learners both in private and public schools. Enduring
you may called it, but the reflection of the students nowadays are very different from our learners of the
past. Movement of technology, lifestyle and ideas are very much afflicting in our youth, even emotions
and their view of society are even maligned (probably because the society deemed lived from the days of
the 50s, 60s 70s 80 and 90s as well) probably due to the influx of information that resolves in the lack
of effort given by our educators. Many studies beforehand are given to maximize the implementation of
the UbD in our schools, and it is fortunate that changes are being made to resolve the issues on lack of
learning by the students or poor performance by them.

Attn: FBESS secretary, Ms. Lara Pantig.