Why emphasise formative assessment?

Mantz Yorke

Queen’s University Belfast

25 February 2005

Formative assessment …

implies no more (and no less) than a discerning judgement about [a] learner’s progress; it is ‘on-going’ in the sense that it goes on all the time; and it is formative in so far as its purpose is forward-looking, aiming to improve future learning (as distinct from the retrospective nature of summative assessment).

Greenwood et al. (2001, p.109)

A typology of formative assessment

Probably the mainapproach in HE

Where circumstancespermit

Via peer assessmentactivities

Over coffee or inthe bar

Problems if assessoris mentor, supervisor

In work-basedsituations

Only if an assessmentrequirement

Where student is acting self-critically

From Formal Informal

Teachers

Peers

Others

Self

A typology of formative assessment

Probably the mainapproach in HE

Where circumstancespermit

Via peer assessmentactivities

Over coffee or inthe bar

Problems if assessoris mentor, supervisor

In work-basedsituations

Only if an assessmentrequirement

Where student is acting self-critically

From Formal Informal

Teachers

Peers

Others

Self

Towards greater autonomy

Probably the mainapproach in HE

Where circumstancespermit

Via peer assessmentactivities

Over coffee or inthe bar

Problems if assessoris mentor, supervisor

In work-basedsituations

Only if an assessmentrequirement

Where student is acting self-critically

From Formal Informal

Teachers

Peers

Others

Self

Formative assessment

Black and Wiliam’s meta-analysis showed a size effect of 0.7

… formative assessment does improve learning …

The gains in achievement [are] among the largest ever reported for educational interventions.

Black and Wiliam (1998, p.61)

However, there are weaknesses . . .

Weaknesses (Subject Review)

In 49 per cent of cases, marking systems could be improved particularly in respect of feedback to students.This sometimes lacked a critical edge, gave few helpful comments and failed to indicate to students ways in which improvement could be made.

QAA (2001, para 28: Subject overview report, Education)

Weaknesses (Subject Review etc.)

In 49 per cent of cases, marking systems could be improved particularly in respect of feedback to students.This sometimes lacked a critical edge, gave few helpful comments and failed to indicate to students ways in which improvement could be made.

QAA (2001, para 28: Subject overview report, Education)

See also QAA (2004) Learning from Subject Review and

Learning from higher education in further education colleges in England

Weaknesses (Foundation Degrees)

Students of about one-half of the programmes

experience some variation in the quality of written

formative feedback. It is not always clear to students

how their assessed work could be improved.

In five cases review teams highlight this as a

serious problem.

QAA (2003, para 56: Review of 33 Foundation Degrees)

Learning Learning Learning

Traditional programme based on year-long units

FormAsst

FormAsst

SummAsst

Academic year

SummAsst

Learning

SummAsst

Learning

Modular programme based on semesters

Formative Assessment?

A challenge for modularity

Formative assessment

• is a more complex matter than some may appreciate

• can be construed as a signalling system

• has an important personal dimension

Assessmenttask

Assessorinterprets

Grade,feedback

Studentinterprets

Studentinterprets

Criteria

Tutor/assessorStudent

Studentperforms

Tutor/assessor’s self-learning

Teacher characteristicsSubject structureProgram specification

Student’s self-theories,general development

The virtue of small steps …

I found having large blocks of work without

assessment difficult – you don’t know if you are

grasping it or not until exam time!

Assignments weekly would be better from my

point of view.

[Female in her 30s, pursuing a science-based FD programme]

The virtue of small steps …

The less individuals believe in themselves, the more

they need explicit, proximal, and frequent feedback

of progress that provides repeated affirmations

of their growing capabilities.

Bandura (1997, p.217)

… and of supportive feedback

Students observed that feedback was given in

such a way that they did not feel it was rejecting

or discouraging . . .

[and] that feedback procedures assisted them in

forming accurate perceptions of their abilities and

establishing internal standards with which to evaluate

their own work

Mentkowski and Associates (2000, p.82)

Optimising formative assessment

Institution and Department

• Culture of support for student learning

• General approach to learning, teaching, assessment

Optimising formative assessment

Institution and Department

• Culture of support for student learning

• General approach to learning, teaching, assessment

• Programme structures and assessment regulations

Optimising formative assessment

Institution and Department

• Culture of support for student learning

• General approach to learning, teaching, assessment

• Programme structures and assessment regulations

• Quality assurance and enhancement

Optimising formative assessment

Institution and Department

• Culture of support for student learning

• General approach to learning, teaching, assessment

• Programme structures and assessment regulations

• Quality assurance and enhancement

Individuals and groups of teachers

• Following through the implications of the ‘signalling system’

Optimising formative assessment

Institution and Department

• Culture of support for student learning

• General approach to learning, teaching, assessment

• Programme structures and assessment regulations

• Quality assurance and enhancement

Individuals and groups of teachers

• Following through the implications of the ‘signalling system’

• Being imaginative in the use of ‘teaching time’

Optimising formative assessment

Institution and Department

• Culture of support for student learning

• General approach to learning, teaching, assessment

• Programme structures and assessment regulations

• Quality assurance and enhancement

Individuals and groups of teachers

• Following through the implications of the ‘signalling system’

• Being imaginative in the use of ‘teaching time’

• Involving learners in self- and peer-assessment

Threats

1. The concern with standards

2. The legacy of the ‘scientific measurement’ paradigm

3. Increased student/staff ratios

4. Unitisation of curricula

5. Research etc.

6. Students maximising the ratio of grade/effort

What might help? Broad principles

Not trying to do it all yourself

Encouraging the students to engage in self- and/orpeer-assessment, using provided criteria and/orexamples…

… though they are likely to query the provision thatthey are paying for

Actively encouraging students to buy into a culture of learning

What might help? The ‘Patchwork Text’

An example from Sociology (McKenzie 2003)

Choose 4 from the following 7:

• Questions relating to a text• Review of a key text• Case study problem• Presentation relating to a news report• Data analysis exercise• Report on visit(s) to local school• Conduct an interview and analyse it

plus

• A reflective account of the options taken

500-800 words/equivalent each, total no more than 4000

Gibbs’ example from Engineering

The problem: large numbers, non-engagement, heavy marking of problem-sheets

1. On six occasions during the course, students brought worked answersto problem-sheets; problem-sheets randomly distributed; marked in class according to given criteria

2. Problem-sheets returned immediately; marks not recorded

3. Requirement to complete ¾ of the problem-sheets to enter exam

4. Exam (only) used to differentiate student performances

Gibbs (1999, pp.43-44)

Gibbs’ example from Engineering

The problem: large numbers, non-engagement, heavy marking of problem-sheets

1. On six occasions during the course, students brought worked answersto problem-sheets; problem-sheets randomly distributed; marked in class according to given criteria

2. Problem-sheets returned immediately; marks not recorded

3. Requirement to complete ¾ of the problem-sheets to enter exam

4. Exam (only) used to differentiate student performances

Result: Av. Mark 45% c75%; fails near zero Gibbs (1999, pp.43-44)

Key factors in Gibbs’ study

Saved on staff time

Relevant learning (in this case, problem-working)

Rapid feedback, where accuracy was not vital

Students paid attention to the feedback

Involved creativity in pedagogy

Engaged students actively (social pressure?) …

… and encouraged their appreciation of what was expected (implicitly developing self-regulation)

Three wider issues

• Employability

• Widening participation

• Recording student achievement

Three wider issues

• Employability

• Widening participation

• Recording student achievement

Employability;broader personal effectiveness

Subjectunder-standing

Meta-cognition

Skilfulpracticesin context

Personalqualities, includingself-theoriesand efficacybeliefs

E

S

U M

The USEM account

The importance of ‘the personal’

Malleable v. fixed self-theory Dweck (1999)

Learning > performance goals Dweck (1999)

Emotional state Boekaerts (2003)

Locus of control Rotter (1966)

Self-efficacy Bandura (1997)

Learned optimism Seligman (1998)

Practical intelligence Sternberg (1997)

Emotional intelligence Goleman (1996)

Knowledge gain: effect sizes

Meta-analyses Size N studies

Self-system (E of USEM) 0.74 147

Metacognition (M) 0.72 556

Marzano (1998)

Three wider issues

• Employability

• Widening participation

• Recording student achievement

Successful ‘WP institutions’

Inter alia, tend to

• Emphasise early formative assessment

• Be committed to the support of students

• Accentuate the social in programmes

Three wider issues

• Employability

• Widening participation

• Recording student achievement

Issues in the Burgess Report

• Recording of student achievement

• The honours degree classification

• If no honours degree classification, then what?

• Credit: valuing something?

Change

Educational change is technically simple and

socially complex.

Fullan (2001, p.69)

Change

Educational change is technically simple and

socially complex.

Fullan (2001, p.69)

There is no quick fix.