TLA Key Priorities - Long Term Learning

Topic 3 - Assessing for Long Term Learning

• Topic 3 - Assessing for Long Term Learning

  Assessing the learners is an important part of a teacher's job, so creating innovative assessments is crucial to our learners' success. Learners should be able to showcase the information they have retained, building on previous experience and knowledge to support the Long Term Learning process.

  REMEMBER: Learners may retain more information if they enjoy what they are learning and can see what their learning is leading to.

  When completing this topic, you must make sure you have ticked the completion box on the right hand side of the screen (for each activity) once the section has been completed. Some activities will require you to fully complete the tasks to automatically tick the box, the area of study will not be deemed as complete until every box is ticked.

  • Mark as done

    

    Welcome to the final topic on Long Term Learning - Assessing for LTL. You have already recapped your knowledge on planning and teaching for LTL.

    As identified in the previous 2 topics, it is critically important that you structure and schedule your assessments appropriately to learner need. These form the basis of understanding what the learners know and what information they are retaining. Summative assessment should never be undertaken unless a learner has experienced the previous 4 types of assessment. 

    The stages of assessment are show below:

    • 1. Prior achievements (English, maths & Vocational)
    • 2. Initial assessment/diagnostics or skills scan (identifying gaps in knowledge, skills and behaviour)
    • 3. Informal formative assessments (AFL)
    • 4. Formal formative assessments (Dry runs/mock)
    • 5. Summative assessment 

    This topic will look at each of these types of assessment, and will give you an understanding of how you can use them to ensure you assess for the long term.

  • Objectives:

    • 1. Explain the 5 different types of assessment for LTL

    • 2. Determine the difference between each type of assessment

    • 3. Explore different examples of assessment and state at least 2 techniques for each type of assessment you will use in your planning for LTL.

    DON'T FORGET TO WRITE THESE DOWN SO YOU CAN REFLECT ON YOUR ACHIEVEMENT AT THE END OF THE MODULE!

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    Activity 1: a look at the types of assessment poster - read instructions below and then click here File

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    This poster shows the different types of assessment and examples of each type.

    Download this and print it and keep it somewhere safe to help you with your planning. 

    

  • Diagnostic & Skills Scan 

    As you now know, the first stage of assessment is "initial assessment". For our College, this is always done at enrolment to ensure that the right learner is on the right level of programme and each area of their study.

    Diagnostic/skills scan is the second stage, as noted before in the previous topics. The best way to create a diagnostic/skills scan is to think about asking a series of questions to determine what learners already know, can do, and whether the behaviours they use are correct. This will enable you as a teacher to be able to adapt your teaching, learning and assessment to meet the needs of all the learners you are accountable for.

    Open the below folder to see an example of a vocational based diagnostic/skills scan. Obviously the College already has a digital platform (BKSB/Century) that does this diagnostic for English and maths. The College is looking at investing in a digital platform for vocational subjects also, but in the mean time they must be devised by the teacher. 

    Initial Assessment/Diagnostics/Skills Scans must be done at induction and cover the range of criteria/topics/knowledge/skills and behaviours being taught over the whole area of study, they can then be revisited at other points in the learner's journey to see progress. Initial target setting in ProPortal/Monitor (again during induction) should use this information to set personalised targets: 1 Voc/Main Qual, 1 English, 1 Maths and 1 Personal Development - in all cases). Teachers may choose to break down each qualification into bite-size topic initial assessment/diagnostics, this is also appropriate.

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    Activity 2: Creating a diagnostic/skills scan - read instructions below and then click here Folder

    Attached is a blank diagnostic template, as well as a Level 3 Sport example.

    

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    Activity 3: Impact of Assessment for the Long Term - read instructions below and then click here File

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    Think about the techniques you already use in the classroom to measure the impact of the teaching you have delivered and the learning the learners have experienced. 

    Think really critically, how effective are they at measuring a learner's progress?

    There is no point undertaking any type of assessment with a learner if you are not clear what your intended impact is going to be. By thinking critically about this you will ensure that all assessment you facilitate with learners is meaningful, efficient, effective and leads to a learner being different than they were when they first started. This simple objective will then have an added benefit in that the learner will be able to apply their knowledge, skills and behaviours for the rest of their life, AKA the long term.

    

    Complete the attached graphic organiser & keep it somewhere safe. 

  • Useful tips for Formative Assessment:

    

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    Activity 4: Informal formative assessment (AFL/classroom activities/low stakes) - read instructions below and then click here URL

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    What do we mean by AfL?

    Watch the clip and make notes on important the factors.

    So now you have watched this video, do you ensure that each of the classroom activities you facilitate with learners lead to some impact on LTL.?

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  • Informal formative assessment takes place on a day-to-day basis during teaching and learning. It allows teachers and learners to assess knowledge and support long term learning in a low risk scenario for learners (i.e learners know the outcomes of this are not going to effect their final achievement). 

    Below is a image taken from Matt Bromley that shows the BIG 3s OF INFORMAL FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

    

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    Activity 5: Top digital tools for Informal Formative Assessment - read instructions below and then click here URL

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    Take a look at this website which includes many different tools and digital programmes you can use with your learners to encourage LTL. 

    Explore at least 2 different tools, make a note and embed into your SOL. 

    

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    More useful informal formative assessment ideas - read instructions below and then click here File

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    Have a look at this image by clicking the title above for more ideas of informal formative assessment

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    Activity 6: More informal formative assessment examples - read instructions below and then click here URL

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    This link contains a number of different formative assessment examples.

    Take a look and pick 4 different examples you would like to try. Include these in your SOL and write these in the discussion forum below. 

    

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    Activity 6 continued: The assessment types you have selected to use - sharing forum - read instructions below and then click here

    Make forum posts: 1

    From all of the links above, include a comment in this forum to say at least 5 different informal formative assessment techniques you are going to try.

    Remember to include these in your SOL/interactive session plan (ISP) on Moodle.

     

  • FORMAL FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT aka "DRY RUNS/MOCK TESTS"

    A dry run/mock is a 'dummy' attempt at summative assessment.

    THE ASSESSMENT METHOD/SCENARIO OF A DRY RUN/MOCK MUST BE DIFFERENT TO THE PLANNED SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT.

    Think about a Summative assessment you have planned for the end of a topic, how could you spin it round to do a 'dry run' to check the learners have all the knowledge to complete the final assessment? 

    Could you get them to complete:

    • A presentation planned and performed in class
    • A question and answer session/mock interview 
    • A mock exam 
    • Evaluation
    • Compare and contrast/manipulatives task
    • Paired/group task  

    A way to formalise these types of assessment is to use a timer or much more formalised/controlled conditions. Remember the point of a dry run is to test knowledge, skills and behaviours before submitting summative assessment. There is a clear benefit to a learner of doing this: they are able to formally practice what they have learnt and receive comprehensive feedback and support by you the teacher/assessor. The benefit to the teacher is: less marking - WOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

    

    How will you actually assess them at this time? Will you give them formative grades? Will you get learners to peer assess? How will you keep track of progress and change the next steps for learners based on the information you gain from this dry run? 

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    Activity 7: Dry run things to think about - read instructions below and then click here File

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    Complete the graphic organiser with things to think about/questions to ask yourself that relate to the 4 key areas for making sure the assessment is fit for purpose and can help you track learner progress. 

    Put your questions/things to think about under the 4 headings:

    1. Purpose

    2. Validity 

    3. Reliability

    4. Value 

    

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    Activity 8: Dry run assessment ideas - sharing forum - read instructions below and then click here

    Make forum posts: 1

    Include in this forum a comment to state how you are going to use your summative assessments to create pre-summative 'dry runs'. Make sure you include these in your SOL/Planning documentation. 

    

  • SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

    This is the learners 'final' assessment, that is often done at the end of a topic or section of learning. Summative Assessment is used to assess the learners overall knowledge, skills and behaviours. This type of assessment is used to determine grades and future directions for learners and so therefore is critically important to a learners progression, highlighting the need to ensure the first 4 types of assessment are the best they can possibly be.  

    

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    Activity 9: Summative Assessment: Overview & Examples - URL

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    Watch this video on Summative Assessment.

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    Activity 10: Formative Vs Summative Assessment - URL

    Watch this video on formative Vs Summative assessment and note down the important parts. 

  • It's important we get a good mix of both formative and summative assessment in our teaching to ensure LTL. We want the learners to retain as much information as possible and using a good mix of both of these will support that.

    This image looks at how you can mix formative and summative assessment. 

    

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    Activity 11: Coventry College Marking & Feedback Framework Folder

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    When assessing learners work it is important that all teachers/assessors are creating feedback that is consistent and learners understand what the feedback means. 

    The Coventry College Marking and Feedback Framework should be used by all teachers/assessors. All Awarding Organisations paperwork can be adapted to incorporate the STAR model. It is expected that all teachers/assessors ensure it is displayed on every Moodle programme information page, on posters in classrooms and explained to learners at induction/tutorials. 

    

    Please read attached documents:

    • The Coventry College Marking and Feedback Framework - please familarise yourself with it.
    • Examples of STAR feedback 
    • Sample STAR feedback document - for you to have a go at
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    End of Topic quiz - Assessing for Long Term Learning - read instructions below and then click here

    Receive a grade Receive a passing grade

    To complete this topic, you should attempt the quiz. To pass the topic you need to get 8 out of 10 (80%) of the questions correct. 

    

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    Now click on the object below which will allow you to obtain your certificate for LTL.

    We hope you have learnt something new or recalled something from your Longer Term Memory today...........!