emPowereD Issue 5

emPowereD PD FOR SELF . PD FOR OTHERS DECEMBER 2021 | ISSUE 05

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ASSESSMENT LITERACY MAKES FOR BETTER LEARNING

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FROM THE EDITORS Assessment literacy has been a hot topic of discussion in recent years, given that it is listed as one of the six areas of practice in the SkillsFuture for Educators roadmap. Increasing recognition of the importance of assessment literacy has led many schools to develop innovative and effective assessment practices that encourage improvement while providing more accurate evaluation of student progress.

How can we best design and employ assessment tools mindfully and effectively to diagnose and address learning gaps? At a deeper level, how should we develop a sharper clarity of purpose in assessment design and strengthen our competencies to recognise and tackle areas for improvement? In what ways can we construct meaningful assessments that develop our students’ intrinsic motivation to learn while reducing over-emphasis on academic results? How can we ensure that assessment practices are manageable for students, and not—as depicted in the poem ‘Cram School’ below—reduce assessment to mere marking and grading?

In this issue of EmPowereD, we explore how assessment literacy can be so much more than testing. We aim to show how assessment literacy need not be a technical subject but an engaging and even exciting field of study and practice.

Cram School (After Hilaire Belloc's 'Tarantella')

When will the exams be over, sir?

When will the exams be over?

All the setting and the marking of the papers for the grading.

And the piles of files that stack like tiles, and the tasks that stretch forever?

And the tears of their peers as they brood on their fears as they think that it's now or never?

With a furrowed brow, a hurried vow, put pen upon paper, can't look at your neighbour, just writing, and writing while time still allows, everyone rushing, fussing, stopping or advancing, praying for the best to the divine, hoping for the stars to all align.

No sound but the dread of the walls of the halls that recalls the tread of the feet of the dead, all the ink that is shed, no sound but the boom in the room of the voice that said: "Put your pens down."

Ow Yeong Wai Kit

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CONTENTS CHECK-IN

Reflect on your assessment practices to discern the extent of your assessment literacy at this point.

PD FEATURE

Learn more about assessment literacy and why it is crucial for today's teachers.

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ONE IDEA

HOD PE & CCA of Bedok South Secondary School shares how outdoor education outcomes can be assessed.

FROM THE EXPERTS

Let the experts share tips on how you can improve your assessment practices.

PD TRANSFORMERS

Two schools share the principles guiding assessment literacy in their schools as well as their assessment practices and strategies.

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EMPOWERED ASKS

In our interview with DyDGE(PD), she responds to your PD-related questions and shares one of her famed object lessons!

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CHECK-IN Ready to begin your PD journey?

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CHECK-IN Reflect on your assessment practices to discern the extent of your assessment literacy at this point.

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What learning do you assess?

How and when are assessment tasks planned in the teaching and learning process?

What challenges do you face in designing assessment tasks?

What do you enjoy most when designing assessment tasks?

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How do you ensure that students understand and have clarity of the goals and criteria of your assessment tasks?

What opportunities can be provided for students to engage in self-assessment? What is the purpose of self-assessment?

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What do you do with students' responses from the assessment tasks?

What kind of feedback do you provide to students for improvement? How do you know if the feedback you have provided is effective?

No matter where you are at in this journey, there's always room for improvement.

Read the rest of the issue to find out!

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PD FEATURE Why focus on Assessment Literacy?

Learn more about Assessment Literacy and why it is crucial for today's teachers.

What is Assessment Literacy?

Assessment Literacy refers to having the knowledge of and ability to apply assessment concepts to plan and design assessments which involve and support learners, and to use assessment information to evaluate and improve teaching and learning.

It taps a teacher's skills in knowing how well students have learnt and leveraging assessment information to further improve students' learning.

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Why is Assessment Literacy Important?

MOE’s assessment vision is "Learner-Centred and Balanced Assessment"

PURPOSE As encapsulated in the Singapore Curriculum Philosophy, assessment is integral to the teaching and learning process, and helps students become self-directed learners.

It has an impact on students in their pursuit of current and future learning.

BENEFITS FOR TEACHERS Being assessment literate enables teachers to plan, design and conduct different assessments with clarity of purpose to find out what students know and are able to do, to provide feedback to extend students' learning, and to adapt subsequent teaching and support learning.

SOCIO-EMOTIONAL ASPECTS Assessment is an inherently social and emotional process — students will typically experience a range of emotions before, during and after assessment tasks, and when receiving feedback from their teachers and peers. These emotions are mediated by the social environment they are in, including parents’ and societal expectations.

COMPETENCIES Assessment literate teachers are competent in communicating the purposes of assessment to students and involving students in these assessment processes meaningfully.

They also support students’ well-being, by being mindful of the way they provide feedback to students.

BENEFITS FOR STUDENTS By involving students in the assessment process, teachers can instil in them a greater sense of ownership of their learning, develop their selfefficacy and their disposition to learn for life.

BENEFITS FOR STUDENTS

Teachers design appropriately-pitched assessment tasks.

This will reduce unnecessary anxiety, promote greater engagement and motivation in learning, which in turn translates to better learning outcomes.

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FOUR KEY ASSESSMENT COMPETENCIES The four assessment competencies that are important for teachers to develop under SkillsFuture for Educators are:

1. Planning and designing assessment to assess student learning 2. Understanding and communicating purposes and criteria of assessment 3. Involving the learner in assessment 4. Using assessment information

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Ways in which teachers can involve students in assessment and develop their metacognition effectively Involve students in assessment meaningfully When students are meaningfully involved in assessment, such as by reviewing their work or reflecting on areas for improvement, they will develop a deeper understanding of assessment as a means to heighten their awareness and management of their thought processes.

Teachers can provide regular opportunities for students to be involved in self-assessment and peer assessment.

Discuss your beliefs about the purposes of assessment Teachers can involve students meaningfully in assessment by first discussing their beliefs in the purposes of assessment.

When students better understand and appreciate the role of assessment and the assessment processes in which they are involved, they develop a greater sense of ownership in monitoring their own learning.

Promote reflection and metacognition Teachers can guide and support students to make better judgements of their learning and evaluate their learning strategies. They can model their thinking and reflections so that students learn how to do the same for their peers. Teachers need to scaffold this process and use questions that would promote metacognition, including: What are you doing?

Why are you doing it?

How does it help you?

How well are you doing it?

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Assessment literacy is intricately linked to development in educational theories and other strands of development in education which posit different and new ways to assess.

Assessment is also closely linked to the other Areas of Practices in SkillsFuture for Educators. For example, assessment in part serves as the basis for differentiated instruction and the harnessing of technology.

Given the ongoing developments in the educational landscape and the changing profiles and needs of our students, assessment literacy is and will remain an area of PD need.

Teachers will have to reflect on their assessment beliefs and practices and continue to grow in their assessment literacy in tandem with other developments in education.

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What are some good assessment practices schools can develop?

We believe that we have made some headway towards achieving MOE’s vision of Learner-Centred and Balanced Assessment. We see schools enacting the whole spectrum of formative and summative assessment practices with good clarity. Schools are also becoming more adept at calibrating the assessment demands in their summative assessment, especially the school preliminary examinations. Moving forward, schools can strengthen their learner-centred assessment practices, including being able to identify areas for improvement by analysing students’ responses, and creating opportunities for students to act on feedback given.

Beyond feedback practices, teachers can provide more opportunities for students to engage in self- and peer assessment, which can help to sharpen students’ judgement of their work. While a common concern among teachers about self- and peer assessment is that students may not have the ability to assess themselves accurately, teachers must first provide guidance and regular opportunities for students to apply the assessment criteria in assessing their work, and to hone their ability to make better judgements over time through the following: Define or help students define the criteria with which they assess their work.

Guide students to set and monitor learning goals that take into consideration the criteria, and their self-assessment.

Guide students to apply the criteria, through giving feedback to one another and themselves.

Give students feedback on their self- and peer assessment.

Provide sufficient time for reflection and opportunities for acting on feedback.

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ONE IDEA Here's a series focusing on easy-to-implement strategies which you can adopt or adapt for teaching and learning.

ASSESSING OUTDOOR EDUCATION OUTCOMES IN SCHOOL EDZRA ISKANDAR, President's Award for Teachers Recipient (2018), HOD PE & CCA / Student Leadership, Bedok South Secondary School

WHY ASSESS OUTDOOR EDUCATION? Outdoor Education was a key component in the 2014 PE curriculum but assessment guidelines were lacking Use of Formative Assessment as an appropriate tool for skill development Navigation, which was more challenging to teach and assess, became the focus area for assessment

HOW WAS NAVIGATION SKILL TAUGHT? Navigation requires an awareness of the terrain and environment Skills were grouped into distinct and spiraling, which required scaffolding Demonstration of the skills after they were taught Assessment tool allowed immediate feedback of performance

HOW WERE ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES DEVELOPED? Discussion with MOE HQ officers on what needed to be implemented and achieved Traditional assessment tools commonly used in OBS were adapted to challenge the students according to their ability Sample lessons were designed and trialed with different classes of different streams

EFFECTIVENESS OF ASSESSMENT Easy to observe and evaluate the application of closed skills Showed that some students did not have a natural disposition for map reading and activities requiring spatial intelligence

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FROM THE EXPERTS Here are some ideas to add to your assessment toolbox!

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How can teachers assess effectively?

Assessing students' understanding can take time and effort. Here are some general steps you can take to do it more effectively: Set assessments with the aim of understanding the strengths and learning needs of students, while taking reference from syllabus goals and learning objectives.

Provide quality feedback transparent and two-way.

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timely,

Use assessment information to monitor student learning and progress, and adapt or revise your teaching accordingly.

Establish a clear definition of commonly used words or phrases pertaining to assessment.

Work collaboratively with your colleagues by discussing and analysing the data and planning the subsequent follow up.

Use assessment to analyse information about student learning, provide feedback and enable students to act on feedback to improve.

WE ARE SOMETIMES SO PREOCCUPIED WITH ACADEMIC SCORES THAT WE FORGET LEARNING IS NOT SO EASILY MEASURED - Dr Tay Hui Yong NIE Senior Lecturer (2016)

Click here for more details on efficient assessment

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ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING Assessment for Learning (AfL) puts the ownership of learning back into the hands of students. By informing students of their progress, teachers empower them to take the necessary action to improve their learning.

How can teachers carry out AfL? Explaining intended learning outcomes and standards Make learning outcomes known to students Discuss success criteria regularly Possible tools: checklists, student-friendly language, student exemplars Focus on learning outcomes rather than covering the syllabus Exploring process of learning Offer specific actions for students to move their learning forward Help students take responsibility to act on feedback Personalise feedback for individual students Refrain from giving the correct answers Engaging in quality feedback Use different ways to elicit evidence on students' learning Highlight learning gaps to students Emphasise mastery of skills and content rather than grades Provide concrete, actionable steps students can take to make progress Grades alone may not allow students to identify their learning gaps

“Students play a huge role in their own learning process but they often have few opportunities to assess themselves in the classroom.”

- Dr Wong Hwei Ming NIE Research Scientist (2016)

In SingTeach Issue 59, Dr Wong shares some self-assessment activities that teachers can use in the classroom to help students take charge of their own learning.

Click here for more information on AfL

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Self-Assessment Activities Learning Logs: Encourage students to reflect on their progress through a series of guided questions.

Student-led Conferences: Provide opportunities for students to share newly acquired skills and knowledge through presentations.

Checklists: Ask students to check their work against a list of learning outcomes to verify that they have met task objectives.

Rubrics: Allow students to assess the progress of their work using rubrics with descriptors of quality at each level for each criterion.

Modelling the Task: Use a sample piece of work to illustrate task expectations. The sample can be shown at different stages of the task.

Modelling the Question: Anticipate the difficulties students may face and pose relevant questions to guide students in their analysis and reflection.

How to set valid assessments?

Table of Specifications (ToS) and Assessment Objectives: A blueprint for what should be included on an assessment.

Validity: How well a test measures what it is supposed to measure?

4 Practical Uses of a ToS: Create an assessment Critique and improve a current assessment Create a unit assessment plan Analyse student learning Click to learn how to use a ToS to analyse student learning

Click to read about Connecting Curriculum, Instruction, and Student Learning Click to read more on Using Assessment to Promote Learning

"TEACHERS MUST BE ABLE TO SELECT/CREATE AND EFFECTIVELY USE CLASSROOM ASSESSMENTS FOR A VARIETY OF PURPOSES." Dr Christopher R. Gareis in the 2013 Asia-Pacific Education Assessment Conference (APEAC)

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PD TRANSFORMERS Read to find out about the assessment practices at Chua Chu Kang Primary School and Teck Whye Secondary School!

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COVID-19 has changed the face of education. It has resulted in changes to learning environments, with remote and blended learning fast becoming the norm.

Such changes are likely to impact students' learning progress. This has created a stronger need for educators to have good mastery of assessment literacy to better evaluate and monitor their students' learning.

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The Formative Feedback Cycle

At Chua Chu Kang Primary School, the formative feedback cycle is used to support student learning processes and address learning gaps.

Teacher explains and clarifies standards

Student applies feedback and improves

Student works on task

Teacher provides feedback Teacher checks that student understands feedback

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How does the school ensure that teachers are competent in using the formative feedback cycle?

New teachers are trained in the school's feedback practice, as part of the school mentoring programme Teachers' feedback and students' follow-up on the feedback are shared across levels within departments during department meetings Lesson observations and file checks are conducted to ensure feedback practice is in place and consistent Teachers who demonstrate effective written and verbal feedback practices share their good practices at professional development platforms, open classroom lessons and the school's learning festival

What are some challenges involved in using the formative feedback cycle and how have they been overcome?

Challenges Getting teachers to shift their mindset about customising marking to meet the learning needs of different ability groups, as compared to a one-size-fits-all practice Teachers found the new practice of providing feedback more time consuming

Solutions A task force consisting of teacher representatives from different departments and role profiles was formed to spearhead the move Bite-sized training on feedback strategies was conducted so that it is manageable Feedback was given based on focused areas to ensure quality rather than quantity Sharing of good feedback practices using authentic students' work boosted teachers' confidence and promoted greater buy-in

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Teck Whye Secondary School adopts an integrative approach to embed formative assessment in their curriculum practices.

This involves continuously: Equipping staff in improving pedagogical practices to integrate formative assessment in the classroom Building or refining structures to enable timely and evidencebased implementation and review of assessment practices Harnessing the effective use of technological tools.

For example, SLS and Google classroom for understanding and clarifying learning intentions.

Google Jam Board and Coggle to consolidate learning individually and Flipgrid, Google sites to facilitate peer sharing and feedback.

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How are staff equipped to integrate formative assessment in their pedagogical practices?

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What structures are in place to enable implementation and review?

Some departments trialed the use of selected formative assessment strategies before implementing them across the levels.

Formative assessment strategies were customised according to the learning needs and development of students across levels and classes. Some of the processes include teachers working with students to set higher learning goals, regular teacher and peer feedback, as well as student reflection.

With FSBB, the school will be looking at assessment within a differentiated learning environment. This includes designing common assessment for different student profiles and readiness levels, e.g., using different products to achieve same learning outcomes.

Through PLTs, teachers were able to discuss and evaluate the use of various formative assessment strategies to continually deepen their learning to ensure sustainability in their practices.

Termly reviews by IP HODs, Year Heads and teachers to review teaching and learning, as well as examine the use of formative assessment strategies to assess the effectiveness and discuss interventions strategies.

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EMPOWERED ASKS DyDGE(PD) Mrs Chua responds to your PD-related questions and inspires us with her passion and wisdom!

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Mrs Chua, our Deputy Director-General of Education (PD) is a well-known and well-loved figure in our fraternity. She is an exemplary educator, with 40 years of experience under her belt.

Despite her many notable accomplishments, she is humble, grounded and unwavering in her mission.

Colleagues whom she has worked with call her the transformational leader, and teachers and students alike look up to her as an inspiration.

Under her nurturing love and care, she has touched and transformed the lives of many. Words alone really cannot describe the extent and impact of her contributions to education.

Enjoy the video as Mrs Chua responds to your PD-related questions, shares one of her famed object lessons, and inspires us with her passion and wisdom!

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READ@Academy BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS Keen to learn more? Check out these electronic resources from READ@Academy

Just click the e-book you like to start reading!

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READ@Academy BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS Keen to learn more? Check out these electronic resources from READ@Academy

Just click the e-book you like to start reading!

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