Assessment for, as and of Learning

Home

Support Materials K10

Assessment

Approaches

Assessment is an essential component of the teaching and learning cycle. Assessment for,
assessment as and assessment of learning are approaches that enable teachers to gather evidence
and make judgements about student achievement. These are not necessarily discrete approaches
and may be used individually or together and formally or informally.

The principles of assessment for learning and assessment as learning strategies have some
common elements. Assessment for learning and assessment as learning incorporate:

self-assessment and peer assessment

strategies for students to actively monitor and evaluate their own learning

feedback, together with evidence, to help teachers and students decide whether students
are ready for the next phase of learning or whether they need further learning experiences
to consolidate their knowledge, understanding and skills.

Assessment for learning and assessment as learning approaches, in particular, help teachers and
students to know if current understanding is a suitable basis for future learning. Teachers, using
their professional judgement in a standards-referenced framework, are able to extend the process
of assessment for learning into the assessment of learning.

Assessment for learning

Assessment for learning involves teachers using evidence about students' knowledge,
understanding and skills to inform their teaching. Sometimes referred to as formative
assessment', it usually occurs throughout the teaching and learning process to clarify
student learning and understanding.

Assessment for learning:

o reflects a view of learning in which assessment helps students learn better, rather
than just achieve a better mark
 o involves formal and informal assessment activities as part of learning and to
inform the planning of future learning

o includes clear goals for the learning activity

o provides effective feedback that motivates the learner and can lead to
improvement

o reflects a belief that all students can improve

o encourages self-assessment and peer assessment as part of the regular classroom

routines

o involves teachers, students and parents reflecting on evidence

o is inclusive of all learners.

Assessment as learning

Assessment as learning occurs when students are their own assessors. Students monitor
their own learning, ask questions and use a range of strategies to decide what they know
and can do, and how to use assessment for new learning.

Assessment as learning:

o encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning

o requires students to ask questions about their learning

o involves teachers and students creating learning goals to encourage growth and
development

o provides ways for students to use formal and informal feedback and self-
assessment to help them understand the next steps in learning

o encourages peer assessment, self-assessment and reflection.

Assessment of learning

Assessment of learning assists teachers in using evidence of student learning to assess

achievement against outcomes and standards. Sometimes referred to as summative
assessment', it usually occurs at defined key points during a unit of work or at the end of
a unit, term or semester, and may be used to rank or grade students. The effectiveness
of assessment of learning for grading or ranking depends on the validity and reliability of
 activities. Its effectiveness as an opportunity for learning depends on the nature and
quality of the feedback.

Assessment of learning:

o is used to plan future learning goals and pathways for students

o provides evidence of achievement to the wider community, including parents,

educators, the students themselves and outside groups

o provides a transparent interpretation across all audiences.

Classroom Management for an Effective Learning Environment

Classroom setup is an important component in a learning environment because it is an essential

piece of classroom management to support both teaching and learning. The physical
atmosphere of the classroom can help prevent behavior issues as well as promote and improve
learning. The structuring of the learning environment is essential for teachers and students. In
fact, studies show that the physical arrangement of the classroom can affect both student and
teacher behavior, and that a well-structured classroom management plan of design has the
ability to improve learning and behavior. In order to create an inviting and safe, supportive
learning environment, using classroom management for the way you arrange your desks
matters. A supportive learning environment can mean the difference between having a good day
and a bad day.

Your classroom arrangement is the physical foundation of where your students will learn. This
means that every square foot of it needs to be used for activities that support learning. The spatial
structure of the classroom; where students will be seated, how the students will move about the
classroom, and the whole classroom atmosphere needs to be considered, as well as how the
classroom will be structured to address the academic, social, and emotional needs of the students.
The physical arrangement of the classroom should also be reflective of the student body and
must be consistent with the needs of all learners.

In addition to the way your classroom is physically arranged, the classroom environment as a
whole needs to be considered. What you put on your walls, the classroom materials you will use,
and where, and how you will set up your activities. All attributes of a structured learning
environment need to be considered when setting up your classroom.

Classroom Management: Benefits of a Well-Designed

Classroom
According to a recent study at the University of Salford, a well-designed classroom can boost
student performance by 25 percent. That means that your classroom design can have a significant
impact on your students performance. So, it is essential to thoughtfully and clearly consider all
facets of your classroom design. A well-thought out physical arrangement of your classroom is
also important for these reasons:

Top 5 classroom management ways that you can stay healthy fit this school year.

Classroom Management to Make Sub Planning a Snap

Our review of Rethink, Rebuild, Rebound: A Framework for Shared Responsibility...

Students will learn which behaviors are acceptable and expected in each
specific location in the classroom. For example, when in the classroom library,
students need to be quiet, but while in the classroom play area, students are
allowed to talk.

Students will learn to anticipate which activities will occur in specific areas of
the classroom. This helps students be mindful of how they need to behave for
each specific area they are in.

Students learn to respect boundaries. For example, there are Teacher only
areas as well as the boundaries of space a student has around his/her
personal desk.

The organization of classroom materials allows students to retrieve them

quickly, which helps to decrease unwanted behavior.

Proper room arrangement provides predictably, which is essential for

students, because students thrive when they are in a comfortable learning
environment.

Arranging Your Classroom

Before you set out to arrange your classroom, consider asking yourself the following questions:
 What information do my students need to know? They need to know
the date, assignment, classroom procedures, etc.

What will inspire my students every day? Quotes, posters, classroom

awards, everyday heroes, etc.

What education artifacts do they need? Word walls, literacy resources,

purposeful posters and bulletin boards, etc.

How do I need to structure the desks? Teacher-focused activities means

desks will be in rows or small clusters facing the front of the classroom, while
student-focused activities means desks will be put into groups or semicircles
so students can easily collaborate with one another.

Do any of my students have specific medical needs? A food allergy,

wheelchair, etc.

What furniture is available? Desks, tables, bookcases, shelves, etc.

The answers to these questions will help guide you to structure an effective learning environment
for your students. Depending upon what furniture is readily available, you will also need to
structure your classroom so that every student has a home base (or an individual learning area
like their own desk), a whole group instruction area, a dedicated teacher area, as well as a
transition area where students can wait for the next activity or lesson to begin, or at least have
your space arranged so students can move about easily and comfortably without bumping into
one another.

Essential Areas
As mentioned above, there are a few required areas that you must have in your classroom: A
Home base, group instruction area, teacher workstation, and transition space. Here we will take a
closer look at how you can arrange each of these specific areas.

Home Base
Each student needs a space to call her own. Have it be an individual desk or her own space at the
table, they need something to call their home base. This space is a place where students can do
their independent work or go to when you are transitioning in between lessons.

Two factors need to be considered when deciding where students home base where be; if the
student has any behavior issues, and the size of your classroom. Once you factor in these issues,
then you are ready to clearly assign each student a home base.

Group Instruction
The next essential area that you need to set up is where your group learning will take place. Will
students sit at their desks in rows or a circle, or will they sit on the carpet? You may need to
consider finding two spaces for group instruction. One space where students are able to work
within a small group independently, and one space where students can get messy and work with
different art materials which would likely be by the sink. Within each area, you will need to
figure out where you will put your learning materials so that they can be easily accessed by the
students. The back table near the sink would be ideal for small group work, and the front carpet
would be ideal for large group work where all students can find a seat.

Dedicated Teacher Area

Teachers need a place to call their own too. This space should be near an outlet where you can
have access to a computer, as well as it should be out of the way but also easily accessible for
students to get to you. Ideally, your space should be near the widow with your desk or small table
situated sideways, in the corner of the classroom. This way you will get the light from the
window to help you see, you are out of the way but also easily accessible to students, and are
able to scan the whole classroom right from your seat.

Transition Area
The transition area can be a specific location like the carpet that students go to while waiting for
the next activity, or to go home or to a special like gym or art. Or it can be the students home
base or a specific location in the classroom. What this space looks like and where it is located
will depend upon your students needs as well as their ages. No matter where the space is, it is
important that your students know where to go during transition periods.

In short, specific classroom features are relevant to what students are learning. Research shows
that students benefit from a well-designed, well-structured classroom. Most importantly, if you
find that your students are struggling with the design of your classroom then you must consider
rearranging it.

Essential Strategies for Teaching Large Classes

When does a class become large? It depends on the class. Writing classes become large quickly
because of the need to give written feedback. A speaking/listening class can seem large, and the
same size reading class can seem small. Young students make a class larger than older
students because of shorter attention spans. If your classroom is very small and desks dont
move, a few students can become a large class. Diverse classes become large sooner than
homogeneous classes. However, in a survey done in 2008 covering more than 30 countries,
regardless of how many students the respondents typically taught (anywhere from 20 to 150),
most felt that a class became large with about 30 students (Brady, 2011).

Teachers dont like large classes. But if you have a large class, you have a large class. You can
struggle and complain (of course [grin] some people find complaining has a certain therapeutic
value), or you can make the commitment to make your large class as effective as a normal
class. When a class is large, you have to overbuild your classroom management structures. You
can do almost everything in large classes that you do in smaller ones; you can make them as
student centered as smaller classes, but you have to do it more explicitly and routinely.

Common Problems in Large Classes

A. Classroom Management. When you talk to one group, another group is goofing off.
Learning everyones name is hard. Its difficult to get students to pay attention. Cheating
can become a problem when you cant be everywhere at once. In a large class, theres
more chance that making one student happy will make another student unhappy.
Everything takes more time. Space and a sufficient amount of materials become
classroom management problems: Teachers cant monitor groups if theres no space to
walk around the room, and if you have 100 students, can you regularly make 100 copies?

B. Assessment. Assignments and giving written feedback take much more time. Grading
can be more complicated. With oral activities, it may be hard to know who is succeeding
in a large class because it may be hard to know what mistakes are being made by whom.

C. Differentiation. How do you keep good students occupied if they finish quickly? What
about the struggling student who cant keep up? You cant spend extra time with that
student when you have so many others to pay attention to. How can the student be
allowed to participate according to her or his abilities?

Five Essential Strategies for Successful Large Classes

1. Use structured groups consistently. To learn languages, practice is essential. In large

classes, teachers have to create ways for students to practice without continuous, direct
teacher monitoringstructured groups are the only way to accomplish this. Using groups
allows students to be self-managing and allows more time for practice. Groups can be
created in almost any class. Even when desks cant be moved, having the front students
turn back and the back students turn forward can make pairs and quads. Grouping
strategies also occasionally allow better student support for struggling students when the
teacher sees the need but lacks the time, because she can pair a stronger student with a
struggling student as a provisional stand in for her own guidance.

2. Routines rock. To do in large classes what you do in small classes, structures must be
much more explicit and consistent. If the routines are the same every day, students need
less specific guidance and can operate more independently. Classroom management
problems can be solved with clear, consistent rules. Some common large class routines
 include having predictable sequences for every class; emphasizing the goal and steps of
instruction at the beginning of every class; establishing patterns for how students move in
and out of groups; and having fixed activities appropriate and engaging for each student
if a group should finish its task early.

NOTE: Teachers may need to use local language in class more (at least initially) to make
sure students are clear on all rules and instructions of classroom routines.

3. Increase student responsibility. This leads to better learning and more class discipline.
Because teachers do not have enough eyes to monitor every group of students, it is
important to create routines in which students monitor themselves and students monitor
(and support) each other. Assigning regular team leaders who liaise with the teacher, and
assigning other team members ongoing roles in carrying out learning activities helps
make everyone more accountable.

4. Emphasize positive behaviors to improve classroom management. By making

abundantly clear to students what good behaviors are, by praising students who practice
good behaviors, and by asking students to describe or model good behaviors when
questionable behavior occurs, you create a class focused on good behavior. In large
classes, building habits of good behavior creates a culture that tends to reduce behavioral
disruptions. Too often, students dont know what good behavior is, or how important it is.
Focusing on good behavior also reduces the resentment that comes when the teacher must
address problem behavior.

5. Peer and self-assessment are musts in large classes. Peer and self-assessment do not
ask students to grade each other. They provide checklists to reinforce and implement
practices that the teacher wants students to adopt. This way, when assignments arrive on
the teachers desk, they have at least been reviewed twice and may have fewer errors to
correct.

When approached in this mindful manner, large classes have the potential to become teachers
most memorable classes. In requiring transparency (we have to be clear on rules, expectations
and means of assessment), in showing respect (students will not take on added responsibility if
they are not going to be appreciated for their effort), and in operating in trust, (students have to
become the teachers eyes and ears and the students need to know that the teacher wont
suddenly change the rules), we create a state of balance between autonomy and collaboration
where learning and community can flourish.

Teaching Tips - Mixed Ability Classes

As busy teachers it is easy to get stuck in a rut. Our Teaching Tips are aimed at those of you who
are teaching and are looking for some new ideas or activities to use in their classes. Our teaching
tips will feature in the Language Teacher Education (LTE) newsletter and will be posted on the
Teachers Resources page on the Wits Language School website.
Teaching Mixed Ability Classes
Georgina MaWhat are mixed ability classes?
Mixed ability or heterogeneous classes are terms used to describe classes made up of students
of different levels of proficiency. These terms are misleading as no two learners are really alike
and homogeneous classes do not actually exist (Ur, 1991). All classes are to some degree made
up of learners who differ in many ways. They may have different strengths, weaknesses and
approaches to learning. They may respond differently to various teaching methods and classroom
situations.

In this article, I cover mixed ability factors, the problems with and advantages of teaching mixed
ability classes as well as strategies for teachers who teach mixed ability classes.

Mixed Ability Factors

There are many factors that influence the characteristics of the learners that make up one single
class. Some of these factors include:

Age or maturity

Intelligence and multiple intelligences

Learning style

Language aptitude

Language levels

Mother tongue

Learner autonomy

Motivation or attitude towards the subject

Cultural background

Possible problems teachers may face

Teachers may encounter a number of problems when teaching in mixed ability environments.
These are some comments made by teachers about their experiences of teaching mixed ability
classes:
Richmond Publishing

According to Ur (1991: 303), some of the challenges teachers of mixed ability classes may
face include:

Discipline - Teachers may find their mixed ability classes are chaotic or
difficult to control. Discipline problems occur when learners feel frustrated,
lose concentration, get bored, or behave in a disruptive manner. Some
reasons why mixed ability classes may be more difficult to control may be
because different learners may find the subject matter easier or more difficult
to grasp, weaker learners may require more assistance from the teacher, or
more advanced learners may dominate aspects of the lessons.

Interest Learners may differ in their learning styles, motivation and

interests. Teachers of mixed ability classes may find it difficult to provide
content and activities that are motivating and interesting to all learners in a
class.

Effective learning for all In mixed ability classes it is difficult to provide

effective learning for all learners. The content or activities in a lesson may be
too easy for some and too difficult for others.

Materials Materials are usually rigidly aimed at a certain kind of learner and
may not offer teachers options or flexibility.

Individual awareness Teachers may find it difficult to get to know and follow
the progress of all learners in a class. In classes where there are many
differences, teachers are not able to devote time and attention equally to all
learners (imanov, 2010).

Participation In mixed ability classes, more advanced learners tend to

participate more actively than weaker learners. Lack of participation or
attention from the teacher, may further affect weaker learners proficiency in
the subject.
 Correction Teachers may feel overwhelmed by the marking load and may
also not feel equipped to deal with the errors made by a student. For example
a subject teacher may not feel comfortable correcting a learners language
errors.

Advantages of teaching mixed ability classes

Due to the frustrations felt by teachers teaching mixed ability classes, it can sometimes be
difficult to see the advantages of teaching mixed ability classes. There are a number of
advantages to teaching mixed ability classes. Mixed ability classes provide a rich pool of human
resources (Ur, 1991). Learners come to class with different knowledge, experiences opinions,
ideas and interests which can be drawn on to provide interesting, varied student-centered lessons
(Hess, 2001). Such diverse classes are interesting to teach and provide greater opportunity for
innovation and creativity. There is educational value in mixed ability classrooms, as through
their interaction, students can help and learn from each other (Ur, 1991:305). Learner autonomy
is developed in such learning environments, as teachers may not be able to always tend to the
individual, learners help or teach each other, work together or individually. Mixed ability classes
provide opportunity for teachers to develop themselves professionally, as teachers need to adopt
a problem solving approach to the difficulties they face and experiment with a range of teaching
approaches. Tomlinson (1999:28) aptly stated that A secure teacher comes away from today
with important questions to puzzle about overnight and the belief that today contains insights
necessary for a more effective tomorrow.

Why learn to manage mixed ability classes?

Teachers may feel frustrated by the challenges they face in their mixed ability classrooms and
may not know how to create successful learning and teaching environments that meet the needs
of all learners in a single class. Bremner (2008) states that the biggest stumbling block to
effective mixed ability teaching would seem to be teacher attitude. Teachers lack the knowledge
of strategies to use in the classroom for a wide range of ability. Teachers who are familiar with
the different abilities and needs of their learners and use mixed ability teaching strategies
effectively are much better equipped to meet the diverse learning needs of their learners
(imanov, 2010).

Strategies for teaching mixed ability classes

Some useful strategies for managing mixed ability classes (imanov, 2010, Bremner, 2008) are
listed below:

Supportive learning environment It is important to create a supportive

learning environment in the classroom, where learners feel confident and
able to perform to the best of their ability.

Classroom management By managing classes effectively, teachers can

ensure that learners will be involved as much as possible in the lesson.
Classroom management techniques include organising the classroom layout
 for maximum learning potential, involving all students, learning and using
learners names, teachers cultivating a positive attitude through their own
attitude to the class, praise and encouragement, grading and using relevant
teacher talk, using the board effectively and managing learning activities by
giving good instructions, asking concept checking questions, using pair and
group work, setting time limits, monitoring the activity and including
feedback on the activity.

Learning to learn Teach learners about different learning styles and the
different learning strategies for visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learners.
Teach learners how to be resourceful so that they know where to find help if
they get stuck. Provide learners with the goal for the lesson and encourage
learners to review and assess whether they have achieved the goal by the
end of the lesson.

Variety Vary topics, methods of teaching, focus, materials and activities.

Variety will generate learner interest and motivation; and lessons will
accommodate different learners levels, abilities and learning styles.

Grouping Use a range of interaction patterns in class. Learners should work

in groups, pairs and individually. Groupings should be changed often, thereby
giving learners an opportunity to work with different learners.

Pace Teachers must be mindful of the pace of their lessons. Teaching a class
too slowly or too quickly may lead to boredom or frustration. A teacher must
be aware of his/her learners abilities and pitch the pace of the lesson
accordingly.

Interest Teachers need to make the lessons interesting in terms of content,

topic and activities. To find out what interests the learners, teachers could
find out what interests the learners outside the classroom, allow learners to
share their interests with the class through project work and personalization
activities, such as show and tell, or allow learners to chose the content,
topics or activities for lessons, where appropriate.

Collaboration Getting learners to work together and cooperating has a

number of benefits for the learners and teacher. Learners develop their
learner autonomy and learn from their peers, rather than always being reliant
on the teacher. Learners who collaborate on tasks learn how to compromise,
negotiate meaning and develop self-evaluation skills. Collaboration tasks can
involve project work as well as pair or group activities.

Individualization Hess (2001:12) describes individualization as providing

opportunities for students to work at their own pace, in their own style and of
topics of their choosing. Individualization can be promoted in the classroom
through portfolios, self-access centres, individualized writing or personalised
dictionaries.
 Personalisation Ur (2001:306) suggests including activities which allow
learners to respond personally. Such tasks increase learners motivation and
interest as they are based on something the learners have experienced and
can relate.

Blooms taxonomy Make use of higher order thinking skills by providing

learners with problem-solving, analysis, evaluation and synthesis activities,
rather than only comprehension tasks.

Open-endedness Open-ended activities allow learners to respond to tasks

and questions which have a variety of possible answers rather than one
correct answer. Open-ended tasks allow learners to perform at their level of
ability. Such tasks include sentence completion activities, story completion
activities, brainstorming, writing own definitions for words, answering
questions in a range of ways.

Compulsory plus optional tasks Ur (2001) suggests learners are assigned

compulsory tasks with additional materials should they finish the core tasks.
By setting compulsory plus core tasks, all learners are engaged and can feel
a sense of achievement when completing a task.

Adapting materials Course books are designed for a particular language

level and do not offer much flexibility. As a result teachers may need to adapt
the materials to make them easier or more challenging.

Homework Homework is an excellent tool to provide learners of all levels

and abilities with an opportunity to review and consolidate the material
covered in class.

In reality, every class can be described as a mixed ability class as it is made up of learners who
are different in terms of their knowledge and ability. This article aimed to outline mixed ability
factors and the advantages and problems associated with teaching mixed ability classes. Studies
have shown that teachers who view their learners differences in a positive way and embrace
strategies for teaching mixed ability classes are better equipped to teach in mixed ability
classroom contexts.