Assessment Resource
Assessment
This resource is designed to provide further assessment advice, ideas and strategies for teachers working with the Victorian Essential Learning Standards sample units.
Teachers seeking additional advice on the principles and purposes of assessment can access Assessment and Reporting in the Department of Education and Training Student Learning website.
A guide to assessment planning
The Victorian Essential Learning Standards learning focus statements outline the learning that students need to focus on at each level. Directly linked to this, the Standards define what students should know and be able to do at each level. Therefore, units of work based on activities described in the learning focus statements, will be assessable against the expected standards.
Assessment of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards requires a mix of summative assessment of learning to determine what the student has achieved and formative assessment to inform the next stage of learning that will occur, both of which need to include authentic assessment in which students are asked to perform real-world tasks demonstrating the application of essential knowledge and skill.
While planning for assessment is an essential part of preparation for teaching and learning, it is important that learning, creativity, initiative and risk taking are not curtailed by assessment driven activities. Assessment tasks to support the Victorian Essential Learning Standards should provide students with an opportunity to display the knowledge, skills, understanding and attitudes they have developed and motivate them by recognising what they have accomplished.
Assessment of students must also evaluate knowledge, skills and behaviours in an integrated way, rather than treating each and every standard as discrete. This not only ensures a more efficient approach to student assessment that avoids unnecessary duplication of assessment tasks and subsequent reports, but also more clearly reflects how students actually learn and develops deep understanding in learners which can be transferred to new and different contexts.
These assessments, when shared between teachers, contribute to better understanding of each student's development over time, and how best to ensure they will improve.
The assessment principles which support assessment for deep understanding can be located in the Assessment Principles section of this website.
Best practice in assessment requires the integration of these three stages:
Assessment for learning
To provide information on student knowledge, skills and behaviours to inform the next stage of learning.
Assessment as learning
To provide feedback and opportunities for student reflection and/or self-assessment to support future learning.
Assessment of learning
To provide information about what students have learnt in relation to the standards.
The assessments in the sample units can fulfil any or all of these purposes depending on how, when and why they are administered.
The purpose of assessment
Assessment is a part of the learning process. It occurs collaboratively between the student/s, teacher, parents, system and the community and should motivate both learners and teachers. Assessment gathers evidence for teachers to make informed judgments, interpret and identify areas of strength and areas for future improvement in learning. Good assessment practice provides for the diagnosing and evaluating of individual, class and whole school learning needs. It assists teachers identify what students know, understand and can do, while driving curriculum improvement and evaluation. Evidence is gathered for future pathways of students and provides a basis for feedback to students and families. Purposeful assessment takes into account the process and the product while enabling the teacher to monitor and record student progress and learning.
The purpose of assessment is to gather reliable information about the progress of students against specific task criteria and standards. Assessment is built in to teaching and learning in order to monitor the progress of individuals and maintain accurate, transferable records that inform the planning for further learning. Assessment also provides evidence of student achievement against common standards.
Formative, summative and authentic assessment
The assessment strategy required by the Victorian Essential Learning Standards is a combination of authentic, summative and formative assessment to encompass the integration of knowledge, skills and behaviours. Central to this will be an observation of students' development and the collection of anecdotal evidence in an ongoing process which will indicate the kinds of strategies that teachers and students need to apply to improve learning during the course of a unit.
Formative assessment
Formative assessments are the assessment tasks or exercises which occur during the teaching activities and are continuous. The student's performances on these tasks are used by the teacher to make decisions about where the teaching needs to go next in order to assist that student's learning. It is part of the teaching cycle and not part of grading.
Summative assessment
Summative assessment is the product of 'on-balance' judgment based on an accumulated range of assessment sources to determine what the student has achieved and learnt at the end of a unit or semester. Summative assessment is based upon the accumulated learning that has taken place over a period of time and can also be diagnostic in nature. The unit learning goals and objectives should reflect the nature of learning that takes place in that unit and therefore determine how summative assessment is structured. Conducting summative assessment at the end of a unit enables teachers to ascertain student's development against the unit goals and objectives and to set future directions for learning.
Examples of summative assessment are found within these units when children's progress is recorded against curricular targets and the key objectives covered in that unit.
Authentic assessment
Authentic assessment is based on the development of a meaningful product, performance or process overtime. Students develop and demonstrate the application of their knowledge and skills in real world situations which promotes and supports the development of deeper levels of understanding. Authentic assessment stems from clear criteria of which students are aware and involved in the development and evaluation of. Students and teachers collect evidence of student development over time in learning journals or portfolios. Criteria are usually expressed in rubrics but can also be based on criteria such as the Mayer Key Competencies.
Gathering information, data, observations and evidence
In planning activities and managing assessment, teachers should ensure that assessment is based on a variety of tasks and is inclusive of the learning needs of all students. Multiple sources of information should be used to make judgments about specific skills and depth of understanding. Assessment tasks need to be developed with the goals and objectives of the unit in mind and must reflect the learning objectives outlined. These sources include:
- negotiated tasks with negotiated assessment criteria
- self assessment and reflection
- group assessment
- portfolios
- learning journals
- observations
- presentations
- demonstrations
- peer evaluations.
It is important that unexpected outcomes, both positive and negative, are also acknowledged.
Negotiated tasks and assessment
A collaborative approach to developing assessment criteria for different purposes and audiences can enable students to become better focused and engaged in learning. In relating assessment criteria to clearly developed learning expectations within a given task, students think carefully about what is being assessed and the kinds of evidence that would need to be provided to show their understanding. The negotiation of assessment tasks is central to contract work and teachers need to maintain accurate record of the tasks being undertaken to ensure that students are demonstrating their skills and knowledge across a wide range of options.
Teachers lead the discussion by presenting students with options for decision-making about the kinds of evidence that might be provided to assess negotiated tasks. (For example, see options under Group assessment)
Reflection, peer and self-assessment
Self-assessment is a powerful tool in empowering students to monitor their learning and set goals for improvement. Effective self assessment includes the student as an active partner, enabling them to evaluate their strengths and attitudes, analyse their progress in a particular area, and set goals for future learning. With practice, students who self-assess become more conscious learners, able to apply knowledge of their learning needs and styles to new areas of study.
Before engaging in self assessment students must be aware of the assessment criteria and objectives of the unit being taught. Within this framework they need to examine their work and think about what they do well and in which areas they still need help. Once students have reflected on their learning they are ready to set new goals for themselves. As they work toward these goals they should be encouraged to reflect on their learning journey at regular intervals.
The quality of the self-assessment will depend on the tools, support and modelling given by the teacher (which will depend on the age and skill level of the students), the way in which self-assessment is built into the learning process, the guiding questions asked and the opportunity to regularly engage in self-assessment.
Possible tools, self-assessment checklists and inventories to aid self-assessment are:
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PMI
Student use this graphic organiser as a tool to evaluate the positives, minuses and interesting features of their work. The 'I' section can also be modified to record improvements made or to be made. -
de Bono's six thinking
hats
The six thinking hats provide a guide for self assessment. Teachers select the coloured hats to be used to reflect and self assess against the set criteria. -
Reflective journals
Reflection journals are used to record students' reflections and growth as learners over time. For students to be successful in completing meaningful reflections about their learning, they need to be provided with guidance and direction. Reflective journals are meaningful and support students' learning when they are completed on a regular basis, are integrated into the curriculum, form the basis of other activities such as learning journals, portfolios or triangulated interviews and are valued by the teacher and student.
Teachers can use the reflection questions, enterprise skills or the generic skills and competencies as a framework to guide students thinking and reflections. In the reflective journal students can record their feelings, thoughts and learning, and look ahead at areas for improvement. To make the writing of a journal more engaging students can also be encouraged to illustrate their thoughts or to use metaphors to encourage more creative thinking. Teachers may also wish to use a continuum where students can place themselves on a line and then seek feedback from others as to where they would place them on the scale. De Bonos six thinking hats also make an excellent framework to support this process. -
Peer assessment
This is assessment of students by other students. It benefits the learning for the student receiving the feedback and the student conducting the assessment. It encourages student autonomy and higher order thinking skills as students develop skills in evaluating and justifying the decisions they make.
Peer and self assessment are often undertaken together as evaluating the work of others students helps students to reflect on their own work and learning more effectively. Peer assessment is most effective when it is embedded into the learning in the unit and students are provided with the opportunity to learn from their mistakes in a non threatening environment.
Knowledge of the Key Competencies and Enterprise skills
The Key Competencies are succinct descriptions of skills and attributes expressed in language that is accessible to students. They provide students with a valuable checklist and inventory against which to assess their capabilities and progress.
Enterprise skills overlap with the Key Competencies and enable students to apply work- related competencies, attitudes and practices to work situations.
Group assessment
Groups of students (class or small groups) negotiate and develop their own criteria for participation in discussion and in teamwork. For example:
- listens to, builds on or challenges the ideas of others through questions of clarification and amplification
- poses and answers questions clearly
- responds sensitively to other participants
- encourages others to participate
- responds flexibly to group interactions
- deals with interjections
- maintains eye contact with speakers and listeners.
Criteria for assessing contribution to teamwork might include:
- participates constructively in group activities
- helps to define team goals and tasks
- fulfil and, where required, modifies a particular role
- identifies problems and poses solutions collaboratively
- supports group decisions.
Portfolios
A portfolio is a structured collection of samples of individual student's work, for example, reports, electronic files, posters, summary notes, annotated illustrations, models, design briefs, business plans, photos, multimedia presentations and reflections – designed to provide a record of the student's activities and achievements in relation to teaching and learning goals over time.
A record of skills and evidence of performance (both ongoing and summative) incorporating self, peer and teacher assessment, is an essential element of a student's portfolio. Teachers and students work collaboratively to ensure that appropriate choices of materials are made that provide evidence of a student's performance in terms of purpose and audience.
Portfolios can be electronic or hard copy documents depending on the focus and intention of the final product. Portfolios are most effective when they are embedded into a triangulated interview where they provide a discussion point for teachers, parents and students. Wherever possible students should be given the opportunity to present or speak to their portfolios, outlining the learning they achieved and the strategies which helped them achieve their goals.
Observations
Observations are a powerful way of gathering ongoing evidence of students' learning development. They can take place in a variety of settings, across many activities, using a range of tools.
When planning to observe students, teachers should consider who they want to observe, what to observe, and how to evaluate and document what they see. Teachers may choose to select smaller groups of students over longer periods of time and focus on particular skills or knowledge to be observed. Observational checklists can be developed to act as a recording guide for progress towards the standards.
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Observations |
Date |
Comment - examples |
Follow up to occur |
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1 |
Monitors own behaviour |
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Takes on group roles |
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3 |
Respects the opinions of other people |
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Shows empathy for others feelings |
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5 |
Reflects on values and beliefs of individuals and groups |
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6 |
Uses a range of strategies to manage conflict |
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Presentations, demonstrations and interviews
These are authentic assessment tools which help students to develop key, transferable skills highly valued by the community, and to make the connection between their learning and real world learning contexts. The ability to actively engage in the assessment process through the verbalisation or demonstration of their learning provides students with the opportunity to apply a range of skills in meaningful, everyday situations.
Interviews or conferences, which can include any combination of student, peer, teacher, or parent, assist students in reflecting upon and demonstrating their learning in another context. Students are given an outline, program or criteria to guide them in preparation for the interview or conference. They are also given time and assistance in developing support materials and gathering samples of work to illustrate their learning and skill development. During their interview students are active participants in discussing their learning, in demonstrating how they have developed this understanding, and in setting goals for their future development. This process can be used in conjunction with a portfolio or learning journal which contains samples of the students work and reflections over time.
Rubrics
A rubric is a scoring guide that seeks to evaluate a student's performance based on a range of defined criteria or guidelines, and should be developed to build upon students' current knowledge and skills. When given to students before they commence a unit of work, students are able to think about the criteria and goals they have to meet and how they can address these. Rubrics serve an important role in creating assessment that is student-centred and standards driven.
Elements of a scoring rubric
- Criteria for assessment which link to the relevant standard.
- Definitions and examples to clarify the meaning of each criteria.
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Descriptions of different levels of achievement for each criteria.
For each learning objective, knowledge, skill or behaviour that students are expected to achieve during the unit (for which rubrics are necessary):
- Define the criteria that will illustrate achievement of the standard (for example, demonstrate attentive listening) or task (for example, giving a presentation).
- Describe the range of possible performances, from the highest to the lowest, that can be expected from students on any given criteria. The number of levels of performance described will depend on the nature of what is being assessed.
- If required, levels can be grouped, or cut off points established, to provide descriptions of what is, for example, 'below expectations' or 'satisfactory'.
- Share the descriptions with the students and ask for feedback, making sure the overall criteria, and each level, is clearly understood by students. It is imperative that students clearly understand how they are being evaluated and what each level represents in relation to scores assigned if they are to understand the standards that they are being held accountable to achieve. It is also a great tool for helping students self diagnose strengths and weaknesses so that they become part of the 'planning for instruction' process.
Example 1
Assessment rubric: Ball skills
Assessment Task (Level 3)
There are three parts to the assessment task:
- Part 1: During minor games, students perform an overhand throw from a stationary position.
- Part 2: During minor games, students perform a catch from a stationary position.
- Part 3: During minor games, students move into position and perform an overhand throw or catch.
Suggested duration: 8 lessons.
Assessment can be integrated throughout the teaching and learning sessions.
Rubric
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Assessment criteria |
Towards the level |
At the level |
Beyond the level |
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1 Ability to perform the overhand throw proficiently while in a stationary position. |
Attempts skill but lacks correct technique or control. |
Demonstrates skill with the correct technique and control. |
Performs skill with correct technique and control in a complex skill development activity. |
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2 Ability to perform the catch proficiently while in a stationary position. |
Attempts skill but lacks correct technique or control. |
Demonstrates skill with the correct technique and control. |
Performs skill with correct technique and control in a complex skill development activity. |
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3 Ability to move into position to proficiently perform the overhand throw or catch. |
Does not move into the correct position or moves into the wrong position, and/or performs skills without the correct technique or control. |
Demonstrates skills with the correct technique and control after moving into correct position. |
Moves into correct position to perform skills with the correct technique and control in response to demands in a complex skill development activity. |
Sample Record Sheet
Student Name: ______________________________
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Date |
Session 1 |
Session 2 |
Session 3 |
Session 4 |
Session 5 |
Session 6 |
Session 7 |
Session 8 |
On balance judgement |
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Criterion 1
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Criterion 2
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Criterion 3
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Example 2
Assessment rubric: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land Use
Assessment Task (Level 4)
Students write a report on an area or location of cultural significance for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people, including information about the place, how it is used by people and how use of the place affects the environment. They are expected to present the result of research into different perspectives of land use and care, and consider these different viewpoints in a historical and cultural context.
Rubric
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Criteria |
Towards the level |
At the level |
Beyond the level |
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1 Explanation of key aspects of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander beliefs about land. |
Demonstrates some knowledge of key aspects of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander beliefs but does not relate them to land. |
Explains some aspects of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander beliefs about land.
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Explains general beliefs of Indigenous people about land and its use and relates the beliefs to a particular area and/or contrasts Indigenous and non-Indigenous beliefs. |
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2 Explanation of why different groups have different views about the use and care of places. |
Identifies examples of different views held by different groups about the use and care of places but offers no explanation for the differences. |
Describes why different groups have different views about land use and care of places. |
Identifies problems of reconciling Indigenous and non-Indigenous claims for the use and care of places or Demonstrates an understanding of past and current beliefs and conflicts. |
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3 Description of a place and how it is used by Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups. |
Describes place but provides little detail of land use by different groups. |
Considers and accurately describes place, and the use of, or desired use of, the land by Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups. |
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4 Description of how use of place affects environment. |
Suggests few links or limits discussion of environmental impact to only one example of land use. |
Provides a clear explanation of the environmental impact of different types of land use. |
Provides judgments about the environmental impact of land use. |
Sample Record Sheet
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Student Name |
Criterion 1 |
Criterion 2 |
Criterion 3 |
Criterion 4 |
On balance judgment |
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Student 1 |
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Student 2 |
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etc. |
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