Teaching and Learning Practice - Assignment Example

Assignment on Teaching and learning practice The educational world must be measured by quality and professionalism based on professional ethics and judgment. One attempt to measure students’ performance has been to develop the notion of competence and the meeting of standards. Definitions of competence and standards are developed for each subject and educational level. Traditional interpretation of standards is that they can be expressed as expected out­comes. Competence can be measured by comparing these standards with actual outcome. The new “evidence-based assessment” approach has been accepted by VET. Boud and Hawke (2003) underlines that it is more important to make the emphasis on the assessment of outcomes and immediate competence, focuses learners’ attention on the present task and how they might address it, that is, in a way that will satisfy assessors (cited Chappell, 2003). Professional judgment is perhaps the most far-reaching and complex parameter of all. In order to check out the performance of a student, a teacher needs to understand precisely how decisions are made. Every educator and teacher should be responsible for his professional judgment she/he makes concerning students performance and their level of personal development. In this case, professional judgment is a very important activity which helps a teacher to assess a student and determine competency of a student. Professional judgment in teaching is a complex activity which requires careful analysis and evaluation of student’s achievements. The main problem is that it is impossible to teach educators how to make the right judgment in all the cases they are faced with, because every student is a unique individuality and personally influenced by social factors. For this reason, professional teachers learn how to make professional judgments on the job. Boud & Hawke create a concept “learning-how-to-learn” They explain that “currently in an outcomes-based framework, this capacity is not developed. Instead, the emphasis on the assessment of outcomes and immediate competence, focuses learners’ attention on the present task and how they might address it, that is, in a way that will satisfy assessors” (Chappell 2003). On the other hand, in order to improve their professional judgments, the educators record their comments which may include an evaluation of what they have done and/or what they are working towards. Gradually the comments become more in depth in some years of teaching practice and young teachers are able to make detailed and perceptive professional judgments. The basis of professional judgments is also often referred to as decision-making criteria. Professional judgment in teaching is closely connected with professional ethics. It involves more than just carrying out specified duties according to detailed instructions. According to Department of Education and Training (1997 cited Brock 1998) "all staff must demonstrate the highest standards of professional behaviour, exercise professional judgment and act in a courteous and sensitive manner when interacting with students, parents or caregivers, staff and the public". They must "treat students equitably....meet the individual learning needs of students and maximise his or her learning outcomes". In this case, professional judgment must be supported by professional ethics, and by the power to influ­ence the areas of performance. Reporting students performance, teachers require a high level of professional judgment in order to avoid mistakes and incorrect decisions which can caused moral and psychological damage to a student. The ethical principles underpinning the teaching profession state that teachers: “are committed to their own professional development, seeking to deepen their knowledge, sharpen their judgment, expand their teaching repertoire, and adapt their teaching to educationally sound developments” (Brock 1998). Teachers make professional judgments taking into account “rules” and “norms” they have to follow, but still, the level and quality of professional judgment depends upon their experience. Brock underlines that “the teacher has to make a professional judgment, as distinct from applying a neat list of rules, as to which is the greater good - or which is the lesser evil (Brock, 1998). This complex decisions are possible if the teacher has professional experience, deep knowledge and skills. For young teachers, it is difficult to find a base or pattern of professional judgment for uncommon situations. A student’s assessment plan may be agreed only to find that what was deemed a fair differential between grades. Professional judgment requires complex decisions based on psychological performance of a student. “Understanding this principle helps teachers and administrators realize the importance of their own judgments and those of others in evaluating the quality of assessment and the meaning of the results” (Assessment and Evaluation, n.d.). Experience teachers can develop their own methods of assessment based on professional judgment rules. These assessments can take the form of self- or peer-assessments. In the case under analysis, the teacher should assess the student’s competence taking into account formative and summative assessment accumulating evidence that is judged against predetermined standards. B. Teachers use different forms to support their professional judgment decisions which include formative and summative assessment based on observations, formal and informal written assignments, group discussions and role plays, etc. To support professional judgment decisions teachers might want to keep a record of the most successful learner-prepared assessments and make them available to other learners. As well as providing variety for learners there are two good, time-related, reasons for doing this. First, a bank of assessment opportunities could be built without demanding enormous input from teachers. According to Boud and Hawke (2003) “learners are judged in terms of what they can do, often in realistic settings, rather than what they know”. The authors point that the main thing is “how outcomes are formulated and understood” (Boud, Hawke, 2003). Formative and summative assessment is based on competencies of students. According to Boston (n.d.) formative assessment “assessments become formative when the information is used to adapt teaching and learning to meet student needs.” Summative assessment is used in order to “check the level of learning at the end of the program” (Formative and Summative Assessment, n.d.). This form of assessment helps to make professional judgments about the level of students competency and is aimed “to ensure students have met the program goals and objectives” (Formative and Summative Assessment, n.d.). If any one of dimensions epitomizes the dilemma faced by teachers, it is the tension between assessment and development. The balance between formative and summative assessment is important because it helps to make evaluation of students’ knowledge and development. In teaching practice, formative assessment takes more time then the summative one. It is explained by the fact that observations and everyday performance of a student plays a crucial role in his development. Summative assessments need some consideration if they are to be effective measures of learning. If these assessments become standard tests in which all the candidates answer the same questions, the wash-back effect will be that all learners study the same material and attempt to learn the same things regardless of their needs, wants and abilities. If learners are to be encouraged to develop individually and to gradually move towards greater autonomy, then their assessments must not become standardised. To make summative assessments fit comfortably into a scheme of learning they need to be much more flexible than course examinations. Boud and Hawke (2003) note that: ”assessment is not just about measurement at a point in time; it is about influencing learning practices and about communicating priorities. It is through assessment that we communicate to learners what we regard as most important”. They underline the importance of sustainable assessment in teaching practice, and explain that sustainable assessment “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of students to meet their own future learning needs’ (Boud 2000 cited Boud and Hawke 2003). Such an approach breaks down the process of teaching into a number of discrete skills and is based round questions such as: What constitutes the competent student? How can the student’s performance best be described? What are the components of successful students’ performance? What skills are involved? How can these best be described? Formative assessments require more creative thinking from teachers and this can be more time consuming than constructing a tightly focused test. Formative assessments is used to evaluate the students. “Classroom Assessment is an attempt to build on existing good practice by making feedback on students learning more systematic, more flexible, and more effective” (Angelo, Cross, n.d.). The most important is that in formative assessment expectations are described to students. This form is used during the semester. Summative assessment is used at the end of every large unit (module) and at the end of the course. “The task of summative assessment for external purposes remains quite different from the task of formative assessment to monitor and improve progress. While state tests provide a snapshot of a students performance on a given day under test conditions, formative assessment allows teachers to monitor and guide students performance over time in multiple problem-solving situations” (Boston, n.d.). Making professional judgment, teachers rely upon observations, presentations, discussion, informal written assignments, etc. However, if students are to progress beyond mere competency it is important that their vision should not be permanently constrained by an externally imposed set of criteria. Collective evidence is that it reflects more faithfully the way in which work is carried out in the real world (MCMillan, 2000). Learners may be required to keep a portfolio of their work for assessment. Learners use their portfolio to collect evidence of their achievements over a period of time and thus present for assessment what they consider to be the best picture of their abilities. The assessment of the portfolio will be conducted by a teacher although in some circumstances it is possible that a group of peers could conduct or assist in assessment. This form of assessment is helpful in role-plays, groups discussions and presentations (Formative assessment, n.d.). Tests and quizzes will help the teacher to compare observations and self-assessment of the student practical results, and thus make a complex professional judgment. It should mentioned that formative assessment is only a part of a complex and entire professional judgment which include formative and summative assessment. In the case under analysis, the teacher should pay a special attention to competency of the student in different activities. Professional judgment should be made on the basis of observations, student’s participation in group discussions, questioning and informal written assignments. Each assessment might be designed to be administered and marked by a teacher. The evaluation is itself a function of teacher mediation and seeks to plot a course through the variables of particular classroom encounters. Its purpose is not to prove the efficacy of any particular method but to use a set of principles as bearings for the development of different tech­niques. As an alternative, to producing a set of prepared assessments, teachers may produce help sheets which explain to learners how they can construct their own assessment procedures. The peculiarities of teachers and learners as interact­ing participants are eliminated as intervening variables, and the evaluation is done by avoiding the mediation process. Many learners expect tests to be prepared by teachers. Providing a marking key will make it easier to score the assessment and can also provide an opportunity to learn from errors. In the case under analysis, the teacher can write a report immediately the period of evaluation ends and at a set time each week. The teachers comments should be very specific and focused on recent achievements. Positive comments are made and areas of learning that need attention are also expressed positively. The student and teacher discuss the comments and the student then writes his (or her) own comments onto the report sheet. These may be anything that he wants to write or may be in response to the teachers. It is possible to conclude that there is an increasing interest in professional judgment, because in addition to pro­viding a measure of uniformity, a flexible structure can deal with changes in content and complexity. Professional judgment provides information on which each student can be individually rated or eval­uated. References 1. Angelo, T.A., Cross, K.P. Classroom Assessment Techniques, Available at: http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/assess-1.htm 2. Assessment and Evaluation. N.d. Available at: http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/elemsci/asevesc.html 3. Boston, C. “The concept of formative assessment”. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 8(9). 2002. Available at: http://PAREonline.net/getvn.asp?v=8&n=9 . 4. Boud, D., Hawke, G. Changing Pedagogy: Vocational Learning and assessment. 2003 Available at: http://www.oval.uts.edu.au/working_papers/2003WP/2003wp0317boud.pdf 5. Brock, P. The Ethics of the Teaching Profession Standards. Available at: http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/edu_leadership/prof_read/ethics/brock.php 6. Chappell, O. Changing Pedagogy: Contemporary Vocational Learning. Available at: http://www.oval.uts.edu.au/working_papers/2003WP/0312chappell.pdf 7. Formative and Summative Assessment. N.d. Available at: http://www.provost.cmich.edu/assessment/toolkit/formativesummative.htm 8. Formative Assessment. N.d. Available at: http://www.ecasd.k12.wi.us/departments/ci/assessment/Formative.html 9. MCMillan, J.H. “Fundamental Assessment Principles for Teachers and School Administrators” Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation 7(8). 2000. Available at: http://pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=7&n=8 Read More