Focus area 5.1 Assess student learning.
- Demonstrate the use of formative and summative assessment strategies to assess student learning.
Focus area 5.2 Provide feedback to students on their learning.
- Provide feedback to student relative to their learning goal.
Focus area 5.3 Make consistent and comparable judgements.
- Demonstrate participation in moderation to support consistent and comparable judgements of student learning.
On preservice teacher placement in a special school setting, I was teaching a grade 1 and two composite class. This class had six students all with intellectual disabilities. The school had a predetermined assessment criteria for math which involved students using communicative behaviours to respond to questions. Evidence of learning was collected throughout the unit, including photographs and teacher observations and formed the summative assessment. This was to ensure that students had opportunities to demonstrate their learning in multiple learning activities. Assessment should allow for equal opportunity to participate in activities to demonstrate learning (Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2019). The task was to assess student learning at the commencement and end of a math unit and moderate student learning with my supervising teacher.
At the commencement of the unit, I collected formative data (5.1) to ascertain how students responded to questions about whole and parts of a whole (Artefact 5.1). I designed lessons using a variety of differentiated activities so students could demonstrate communicative behaviours. I analysed the evidence collected throughout the lesson and reflected on how students participated and adjusted future lessons to give students the opportunity to demonstrate their communicative behaviours and knowledge. Feedback varied between individual students. Only some students could receive task related feedback which enabled them to check their work before continuing. Student A was able to receive and apply feedback (Artefact 5.2) (5.1, 5.2). Students need to be able to be receptive to feedback for it to be effective (Churchill, 2021).
Using the marking rubric I was able to make judgments about students’ communicative behaviours to respond to questions about whole and parts of a whole. The marking rubric provided task specific standards that clarified curriculum expectations and how student responses will be evaluated (Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2019). I looked through the evidence that I had collected over the five lessons and was able to select evidence that demonstrated students’ communicative behaviours and engagement with the activity (Artefact 5.3). The evidence selected varied between students. Collecting evidence from various forms of assessment gives students the opportunity to demonstrate what they know (Brady, 2017). From this evidence I was able to make a judgment on their learning progress.
Once the learning sequence was finished, I moderated my judgments with my supervising teacher. During the moderation process I discussed student strengths and reflected on the effectiveness of the activities for students to show their learning. Artefact 5.3 demonstrates the evidence collected and presented for judgement and moderation for Student A. The moderation layout was as per school expectations with photographic evidence and annotations beside it.
As a result of this task, I learnt how to collect evidence and make judgements that were fit for purpose (Department of Education and Training, Victoria, 2022). The judgements were authentic, valid, fair, and reliable and informed teachers, parents, and the school administration the progress students made towards their individual learning goals.
Brady, L. (2017). Assessment and Reporting in Australian Schools. Pearson. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781488622922
Churchill, R. (2021). Teaching: Making a difference, (5th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
Department of Education and Training, Victoria. (2022). Effective Assessment. Retrieved from https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/practice/Pages/insight-effective.aspx
Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority. (2019). Task specific standards. Retrieved January 6th 2024, from https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/downloads/aciq/generalresources/assessment/ac_develop_task-specific_standards.pdf
